§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that for the week ended 21st October, 1939, the death rate in Greenock was 16.6 per 1,000, as against 7.9 per 1,000 for Hamilton, and an average of 13.1 per 1,000 for Scotland; what cause or causes contributed to the high Greenock rate; and whether he has any statement to make on the subject?
§ Mr. ColvilleExcept in the case of the largest towns, wide variations in the weekly death-rates of individual towns are a normal experience. If the death-rates in the two towns mentioned are examined over the first six months of this year, it will be found that, although there are marked differences in the weekly rates as between the one town and the other, the aggregate death-rates over that period for each town and for the large burghs of Scotland as a whole are practically the same.