§ 8. Mr. LUNN(for Major MILNER) asked the Secretary of State for India, whether he can give the numbers of lepers in India at the latest convenient date; whether he can give figures for the past 10 years to show what progress is being made with this disease; and what steps are being taken to combat it?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe number of persons classified as lepers at the Census of 1921, the latest official figure available, was 102,513, but it is probable that the number is considerably in excess of that returned. Exact figures to show progress are not available, but great advances have been made through the training of 11 medical men, the survey of infected areas and the opening of dispensaries. Last year the cases under treatment in the dispensaries of one province alone were mote than three times as many as were being cared for in the whole of the leper institutions of India 10 years ago.