§ 38. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Home Secretary-whether he has received complaints from members of the medical profession and others regarding the transmission through the post of descriptive and illustrated circulars advertising various kinds of contraceptives; whether the Public Prosecutor has been consulted with reference thereto, and, if so, with what result; whether he will say if existing legislation is sufficient to protect the public against the effects of this traffic; and what steps he proposes to take in order to deal with it?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSYes, Sir. I have received numerous complaints and the Director of Public Prosecutions has 1220 given the subject close attention in conjunction with my Department. He has taken, and will continue to take, action in cases which appear to him to involve a contravention of the law, but the success of such proceedings depends upon the magistrates being satisfied that the postal matter complained of is in fact indecent, and I am afraid that the divided state of opinion on the subject of birth control has been to some extent reflected in the decisions given. I know of no further steps which I could usefully take.
§ 78. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the progressive fall in the national birth rate; and whether, as this decline is due to the public preaching of the doctrine of birth control, he proposes to take any steps to prevent the development of this doctrine?
§ The MINISTER for HEALTH (Mr. Neville Chamberlain)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I have no control over the public preaching of this doctrine, but I have already stated the view which I hold as to the use of institutions provided at the cast of public funds for the dissemination of information on birth control.
§ Mr. THURTLEIs it not a fact that the population of this country is still increasing and it is generally the view that the population is in excess of the resources of the country?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINThat is a matter of opinion.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEIs it a fact that the birth re to is lower than that of any country in Europe?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINI must ask for notice.
Mr. ERSKINEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that owing to recent discoveries the grave evils, both moral and physical, attendant on present day methods of birth control are entirely obviated?