§ 58. Captain EDENasked the Minister of Health if he will state his reasons for refusing to make an order under Section 62 of the Local Government Act, 1929, directing that the Borough Council of Leamington shall become the local supervising authority for the district under the Midwives Acts, 1902 to 1926?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI have already informed the borough council that I do not consider it desirable that a separate organisation should be set up for the supervision of midwives in an area in which the number of practising midwives is so small as in this case.
§ Captain EDENIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the decision is very strongly resented by the local authority? Where in the Act does the right hon. Gentleman find the words on which he bases his decision?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI have not the words of the Act by me, but I think it was clearly contemplated by the late Government that the power should be given only to an area where there was a sufficient number of midwives to justify a separate organisation.
§ Sir K. WOODMay we take it that the right hon. Gentleman is willing to follow the late Government?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI did not say that, but I must administer the law as it stands.
§ Captain EDENWill the right hon. Gentleman suggest that the local authority is not capable of exercising the powers? Since these words do not occur in the Act, will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his decision?
§ Mr. GREENWOODAs a matter of fact, it really is a question of local efficiency, and where the number of midwives in an area is very small it clearly is advantageous that the administration of the Act should be in the hands of the larger authority.