§ 7 and 8. Mrs. Jean Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will consult with the Minister of Health, with a view to ascertaining whether any survey has been made in such constituencies in England as are fully equipped with gas and air machines, as to why these are not being used in domiciliary confinements; and if he will have regard to the reasons for non-use before urging such machines upon local authorities in Scotland;
(2) if, before urging Scottish local authorities to buy gas and air machines for use in domiciliary confinements, he will have regard for the expressed wish of expectant mothers as to the type of analgesia they prefer.
Mr. McNeilI shall be happy to consider any relevant information about the position in England. But, in some circumstances, gas and air is still, I am advised, the most suitable type of analgesia where a midwife is acting on her own responsibility, and I therefore consider it essential that all local health authorities should provide a sufficient number of the necessary gas and air machines.
§ Mrs. MannI consider the reply of my right hon. Friend shows appalling ignorance of the situation. [HON. MEMBERS "Order."] For example, in Monmouthshire, where there are 72 midwives —[HON. MEMBERS: "Order."] Shall I put it this way? Why is my right hon. Friend not aware that in Monmouthshire, where there are 72 midwives fully trained in analgetics and equipped with 72 machines, they still have no less than 846 mothers who received no analgesia, not even gas and air, from the midwives? Mind you, they were attended by midwives alone.
Mr. McNeilI am sorry about my ignorance of Monmouthshire, but my time is so much taken up with Coatbridge that I really cannot deal with Monmouthshire.