§ Clause 343, page 211, line 32, leave out (" measles ").
VISCOUNT GAGEMy Lords, the next Amendment is to leave out "measles" from the list of notifiable diseases, in the Schedule. By this Amendment we restore the law to what it was when the Bill was first introduced. I do not know whether any noble Lord desires to ask for information on this point, but if it is desired I can give some information. Otherwise, I beg to move that the Amendment be agreed to.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Viscount Gage.)
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, I think I am the only member of the Joint Select Committee present in your Lordships' House, and perhaps I might be allowed to give one word of explanation as to the reasons why the members of the Select Committee thought that measles should be added to the list of notifiable diseases. The Committee, as your Lordships know, did not desire to go, and had no intention of going, to any extreme in changing the existing law. They did not think that by the addition of measles to the list of notifiable diseases they were 327 exceeding that limitation in any great degree at all. They were impressed by the fact that the death rate from measles was a very high one, and they added measles to the list of notifiable diseases as a suggestion that something might be done thereby to prevent the occurrence of so many cases. I think that the Committee will feel justified in having done so, because I understand that considerable inquiry has taken place among medical officers and others who are conversant with the matter, and they have come to the conclusion that on the whole it is preferable that measles should not be a compulsorily notifiable disease. Of course power exists at present for any local authority to make measles notifiable. In these circumstances I do not think we should wish to insist upon the retention of measles as a notifiable disease.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.