HC Deb 05 December 1928 vol 223 cc1207-9
64. Lieut. - Colonel Sir GODFREY DALRYMPLE-WHITE

asked the President of the Board of Education whether in necessitous mining areas, more especially in South Wales, the children of unemployed miners are given free meals when attending school in the cases where the parents are unable to provide them with sufficient food?

The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord Eustace Percy)

Most of the education authorities in mining areas, including 11 of the authorities in South Wales, are providing free meals or other nourishment to children suffering from malnutrition whose parents are not in a position to provide them with sufficient food. I am closely watching the situation in the distressed areas, especially from the point of view of the health of the schoolchildren.

Mr. PALING

Are all those suffering from malnutrition provided with free meals, and do they have to be suffering from malnutrition before they can get them?

Lord E. PERCY

The systems in various areas differ. In the county of Monmouth and in Abertillery feeding is proceeding on an income scale, on the necessitousness of the parents, and in the rest of South Wales it is proceeding on the basis of a medical certificate as to the state of the child's health.

Mr. R. YOUNG

Can the noble Lord say if this feeding takes place on seven days per week?

Lord E. PERCY

Yes, I think it does, but that is within the discretion of the local authority. I think that in all cases in South Wales meals can be given on seven days in the week, hut I am not quite sure as to the regulations in the different areas.

Mr. JAMES HUDSON

How often is the medical examination made as to the state of the child's health?

Lord E. PERCY

I must ask for notice of these details—I have not got them in my mind—but the examinations are pretty frequent, and arrangements are made for dealing with children in the intervals between medical inspections, so that any child who becomes malnourished between two medical inspections can be fed.

Mr. HUDSON

Can the Noble Lord say what general recommendation his Department gives to authorities as to the time that should elapse before this further medical examination is made?

Lord E. PERCY

As I said, I should like to ask for notice of these questions. I did, as a matter of fact, make a specific recommendation as to the amount of time that ought to elapse—maximum and minimum—but I have forgotten the exact period.

Mr. PALING

Is it not easy to know whether children are having sufficient meals without having to wait for a medical officer to report whether or not they are suffering from malnutrition?

Lord E. PERCY

It seems to me very important that feeding in these distressed areas should be based on close and continuous medical inspection of the condition of the child, and the areas which are doing that are doing very much more satisfactory work than areas which merely feed on the basis of a scale of the necessitousness of the parents.

EXTRACT from "The Motor Industry of Great Britain, 1928," published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
In the following Table index figures of the fluctuation to list prices of twelve typical models each of private cars and commercial vehicles are compared with the cost of living index. In two further columns the private car and commercial vehicle index figures are corrected by the application of the cost of living index. On a gold basis (i.e., in pre-war money), current prices of private cars and commercial vehicles are 50.1 per cent. and 38 per cent., respectively, below the pre-war level.
— Index of Nominal Prices. Index of Cost of Living. Index of Gold Prices.
Private Cars. Commercial Vehicles. Private Cars. Commercial Vehicles.
Prices. Prices. Prices. Prices.
1914 … … 100 100 100 100 100
1922 … … 135.5 126.2 181.4 74.8 69.7
1923 … … 116.5 117.7 173.6 67.1 67.8
1924 … … 99.1 108.9 175.0 56.6 62.2
1925 … … 98.2 107.6 175.1 56.1 61.4
1926 … … 92.2 104.2 172.0 53.6 60.6
1927 … … 88.4 104.2 167.0 53.0 62.4
1928* … … 82.1 102.0 164.4 49.9 62.0
* First six months.

A further point in connection with 1928 prices is the advance in design, performance and equipment both of private cars and commercial vehicles over the preceding years. As compared with 1914, to-day's prices include in most cases spare wheel, four wheel brakes, lighting and starting equipment, speedometers, etc., which were all extras on pre-war models.