§ 39. Sir K. FRASERasked the Minister of Health what is the total number of medical men on the permanent or temporary staff of his Department and the annual cost of such appointments; and what was the number employed by the Local Government Board in 1914 and the total cost for that year?
Sir A MONOThe total number of medical men on the staff of the Department (including two part-time specialist officers) is 100, namely, 63 at headquarters and 37 in regional offices. The salaries of the headquarters staff, as on the 31st March, 1921, amounted to £51,549 3s. Od., and the war bonus to £31,681, a total cost of £83,230 3s. 0d. per annum. The salaries of the regional medical officers, as on the 31st March, 1921, amounted to £47,400. (The salaries of these officers is inclusive of war bonus.) The number of medical men employed by the Local Government Board in 1914 was 31, and their actual salaries during that year amounted to £20,571 15s. 9d. For purposes of comparison, however, the medical staff of the National Health Insurance Commissions (England and Wales) must be added to this, as their functions are now performed by medical officers of the Ministry. In 1914 this staff numbered eight (including the deputy-chairmen in England and Wales), and their salaries totalled £6,300. The total number of medical men in the two Departments in 1914 was therefore 39, and the cost £26,871 15s. 9d.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSHas the right hon. Gentleman any intention of reducing, what is apparently an already overweighted staff, to something like its pre-War number?
§ Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEIs it not a fact that this staff has always been insufficient for protecting the health of the nation?
§ Sir A. MONDI have not had an opportunity of going into this question, and, therefore, I am not in a position to offer any opinion as to its sufficiency or insufficiency.