§ 5. Mr. Snowasked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what members of the Commonwealth accepting British immigrant labour insist on screening for tuberculosis either at port of exit or entry, or both, for such immigrants.
§ Lord John HopeMost Commonwealth Governments have power to prohibit the entry of immigrants on specified health grounds, and I am arranging to send to the hon. Member such information as is available to me about the law in other Commonwealth countries relating to this subject.
§ Mr. SnowIs the Minister aware that I was referring specifically to screening for tuberculosis? Is he aware that there appears to be an increasing element of informed medical opinion and opinion on the part of local health authorities that there is grave cause for concern about such people entering the country infected with tuberculosis and spreading the disease? Will he take steps to ensure that such information as he may be able 1106 to obtain is referred, to his colleagues in order to make sure that we are not running ourselves into the deepest danger?
§ Lord John HopeIf I can help in that way, I will do so.
§ Dr. StrossWill the Minister bear in mind also that there is another medical point of view? It is that the majority of the immigrants are negative reactors and are thus free from tuberculosis but tend to contract tuberculosis in this country. We must be careful not to adopt a mistaken attitude towards this serious problem.
§ Mr. WoodburnIs the Minister aware that the very severe rise in tuberculosis rates in Scotland after the war was due, in the opinion of at least one distinguished member of the medical profession, to the presence in the country during the war of persons from other countries where tuberculosis rates were very high?
§ Lord John HopeI am not sure that that matter comes within the scope of my Department, although for other reasons, which the right hon. Gentleman will appreciate, I am interested in the subject of tuberculosis in Scotland.