§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that Mr. Thomas Miller, vaccination officer of Croydon, is issuing to certain parents an official blue paper described as Form X.; whether this violates the routine for vaccination officers 474W prescribed in the Orders of the Board, by reason of the fact that no such form has been issued by them; and, if so, whether he will give instructions for its withdrawal?
§ Mr. BURNSI have made inquiries and find that the form referred to is in use at Croydon. It is not a form prescribed by my Department for the use of vaccination officers, and in my opinion it ought not to be so printed as to convey the impression that it is an officially authorised form. I am communicating with the guardians in this sense.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked whether there is anything in the duties of a vaccination officer, or instructions to vaccination officers, issued by the Local Government Board, stating that a vaccination officer is to communicate with a person making a statutory declaration that is not in accordance with the requirements of the Vaccination Act, 1907; and whether it is to the pecuniary advantage of a vaccination officer to refrain from giving any information to a person desirous of making a statutory declaration of his objection to vaccination?
§ Mr. BURNSNo general instruction has been issued to vaccination officers to the effect suggested in the question, but full instructions as to the making of a statutory declaration are contained in the form which is handed by the Registrar to the person registering a birth. Where a declaration not in accordance with the requirements of the Act has been made a vaccination officer would have no pecuniary inducement to withhold information on the subject, unless, as a result of his doing so, the child in question was likely to be successfully vaccinated.