§ 76. Mr. ANDERSONasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the Report of Sir George Newman, chief medical officer to the Board of Education, and to his statement that out? of the six million children in our elemen- 1828 tary schools not less than one million are so physically or mentally defective or diseased as to be unable to derive reasonable benefit from the education which the State provides; whether he is aware that this state of things is largely due to years of bad housing, insufficient nourishment, and poverty; and whether the Government, in considering after-the-war schemes and policies for the improvement of trade, will also consider schemes of improved social organisation with a view to ridding the country of slums and destitution and placing within reach of all the basis for strong, healthy life?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, Sir, these matters are being carefully considered.