§ Now there are certain services which require such immediate action and stimulus that we propose specific and separate Grants; they are in the region of co-operation between insurance and local government. The first is the campaign against tuberculosis. The Committee will possibly remember that, while the Bill was passing through the House of Commons, a provision was inserted extending the tuberculosis arrangements to the dependants of insured persons. It was contemplated that the local authorities should bear half the deficiency, and that the Government should provide the other half. A good many local authorities have undertaken the work, and there is a very considerable sum this year on the Estimates for the Government's half of that expenditure. Now that substantial Public Health Grants are to be made on the condition of efficient discharge of the duties of the localities in respect of public health, more money will be required. Where the local authorities are not ready to take up the work the Grant will be made to the insurance committees, so that the dependants of insured persons shall 79 not suffer from any slackness of any local authority. There will be considerable Grants for that purpose.
§ There is another branch of the service which is also in that region between insurance and local government. The Insurance Act has helped to make it clear that any system of doctoring is hopelessly inefficient which is not supplemented by a good system of nursing. There are voluntary associations through-cut the country doing admirable work, but they are inadequately financed. The local authorities of some districts are also doing their best. We propose to provide a substantial annual sum to help to provide and train an adequate supply of nurses.
§ And here is another deficiency in our health service which has been exposed by the operations of the Insurance Act. There is no provision for the scientific diagnosis of disease. In Germany, in almost every town, and I think in France, you have pathological laboratories, which are of enormous assistance to doctors in ascertaining the real character of a disease when they are in any doubt upon the subject. There are a few boroughs in the United Kingdom where something has been done, even in London, but we propose to make a Grant for the purpose of aiding the local authorities to set up laboratories throughout the United Kingdom. The total of these services for the United Kingdom will be £750,000 in the first complete year—that includes the nurses—the three services I mentioned.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIs that additional to the £4,000,000 for public health of which the right hon. Gentleman spoke?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEYes, these are specific services for which we are going to give special subsidies.