§ 27. Sir JOHN LONSDALEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that county insurance committees in Ireland have brought to the notice of the Local Government Board the need of provision for patients in an advanced infectious stage of tuberculosis; and if the Government intend to take immediate steps to prevent the spread of infection?
Mr. SAMUELThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the matter has throughout received the close attention of the Local Government Board, and they issued a circular in April, 1914, recommending the utilisation of existing isolation hospitals for the purpose by means of their transfer to sanitary authorities and their subsequent adaptation for the reception of advanced tuber culous patients. The provision of new local institutions for such cases would involve a very large expenditure on establishment and maintenance.