§ 31. Dr. PHILLIPSasked the Minister of Health whether Circular 1222, issued on the 11th September, 1931, urging local authorities to make further economies in their work, is to be taken by them as superseding the circular issued in December, 1930, urging them to extend their work for the saving of maternal and infant life?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe answer is in the negative. The view of the Government, as stated in Circular 1222, is that local authorities, in considering whether development of any services cannot safely and properly be slowed down till better times, should pay special regard, interalia, to the question whether a service is required on urgent grounds of public health. It will be for each local authority to consider, by reference to the relevant circumstances of its area and to the stage of development already reached, whether further development of its maternity services is required at the present time.
§ Dr. PHILLIPSDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to carry out the intention of his predecessor, in inquiring from those authorities who have not yet answered this circular, what they intend to do; and whether it is not more likely that after the second circular they will drop the matter altogether?
§ Miss WILKINSONIn view of the fact that the last published returns of maternal mortality show the lowest figure yet reached in this country, will the right hon. Gentleman call the attention of the local authorities to the advisability of maintaining that record?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe circular was issued by my predecessor as lately as December of last year. I have no reason to suppose that the local authorities are not giving their close attention to the subject.
§ Miss WILKINSONDoes the right hon. Gentleman's answer mean that he desires local authorities to make no change in the policy that was being pursued under the circular to which he refers?
§ 34. Mr. THOMAS LEWISasked the Minister of Health whether, having regard to the number of preventible deaths of mothers during child-birth, it is the intention of the Government to proceed with the scheme for the development of the maternity service now before the Ministry of Health?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the maternity scheme which was considered by the Committee on National Expenditure. That scheme could not in any event be brought into effect for a considerable period. In the circumstances progress will have in the immediate future to depend on the development of the maternity services to which I have referred in the answer given to the hon. Member for Sunderland (Dr. Phillips).