HC Deb 03 April 1930 vol 237 cc1454-5
63. Mr. WHITE

asked the Minister of Health if he can state the number of cases of psittacosis notified during the month of March?

Mr. GREENWOOD

Psittacosis is not a notifiable disease, but my Department has received information of 20 cases of illness which commenced last month and in which the patients had been associated with sick parrots. I am advised, however, that in the present state of knowledge of psittacosis it is not possible to say definitely how many of these persons were in fact suffering from that disease.

Dr. DAVIES

Is the right hon. Gentleman considering the question of prohibiting the importation of these parrots?

NUMBER of PATIENTS who died in Institutions under the jurisdiction of the Board of Control.
Year. Institutions for the Insane (under the Lunacy Acts). Institutions for Mental Defectives.
1920 8,476 Not available.
1921 8,523 117 Not including deaths in poor Law Institutions approved under Section 37 of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, Certified Houses, or Approved Homes.
1922 9,370 207
1923 8,326 181
1924 8,386 206
1925 8,521 256
1926 8,392 177
1927 9,292 207 Not including deaths in Poor Law Institutions approved under Section 37 of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913.
1928 8,747 222
1929 9,775 220
73. Mr. KINLEY

asked the Minister of Health the number of institutions under the jurisdiction of the Board of Control in which the approved accommodation is in excess of normal requirements; and what is that excess?

Mr. GREENWOOD

There are 44 local authorities under the Lunacy Act who have accommodation in excess of that required for patients within their own area; and the total number of beds is at present 5,272. Most of this surplus accommodation is, however, occupied by patients received under reception contracts from other local authorities who have insufficient accommodation or do not own a mental hospital. I am informed that private institutions under the Lunacy Act have sufficient vacant beds to meet normal requirements. In the case of mental deficiency institutions, there is no accommodation in excess of normal requirements.

Mr. KINLEY

Are steps being taken to secure accommodation in the case of local authorities which at present have no accommodation?