§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government why they propose to phase out the Mobile Mass X-Ray Service.]
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, I hope the House will bear with me if, in answering the noble Lord's Question, I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation, which I believe all noble Lords will share, of the splendid work of the Mass Miniature Radiography Service since its inception during the Second World War. Thanks to the work of the Service, and the development of effective treatment and vaccines since the war, tuberculosis is no longer the menace that it was in this country, although of course it is one that cannot be disregarded. The number of active cases discovered by mass miniature radiography has, however, fallen to a level where I have been advised that its use is no longer justified in the random detection of the disease, and that the detection of tuberculosis can now best be pursued by other means.
Over the past twenty years hospital X-ray facilities have been greatly 953 increased and improved; and more and more family doctors, as noble Lords are aware, are now referring their patients direct to hospital X-ray departments. Indeed, these facilities have now developed to such an extent that they may be said to be general throughout the country. There is, now, therefore, in our view, good reason for redisposing the resources of our Mass Miniature Radiography Service, so that they can be more usefully employed and more effectively deployed, not only towards the detection of tuberculosis but towards improvement in hospital radiological services in general. I should like to reassure the noble Lord who asked the Question that there will be no abrupt changes, and that the continuance of essential services will be assured until an alternative is arranged.
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Baroness for that reply, which I am sure many people will find reassuring and the Service will welcome, after the rather bald statements that we saw in the Press a week or so ago. Would not the noble Baroness agree that the Service which it is now proposed to phase out has in fact played a leading part in this very successful fight against tuberculosis? While I accept that she has received advice about the timing of this reduction in the service, may I ask whether in regard to lung cancer, which is now the second largest cause of death, she can say whether it is necessary to maintain this service in order to detect the first signs of this particular disease?
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, as to the noble Lord's first question, I think I indicated at the outset of my Answer the country's gratitude to the great record of this service in the prevention of disease. With regard to the second point raised by the noble Lord, the service was developed for the detection of tuberculosis, and I am afraid it is unfortunately untrue that the detection of lung cancer by mass miniature radiography can prevent deaths.