§ Mr. ASTORasked the President of the Local Government Board if any medical officers of health have been appointed tuberculosis officers; and, if so, if he will give the names of the local authorities whose medical officers have been appointed to these posts?
§ Mr. BURNSIn all cases I am advised that it is desirable that the medical officer of health should be the chief executive and organising officer in connection with schemes for the treatment of tuberculosis. Occasionally the medical officer of health has had the requisite special training and has sufficient time to enable him to act also as clinical tuberculosis officer. In the following cases the Local Government Board, with the concurrence of the Insur-54W ance Commissioners, have approved of this arrangement:—County boroughs: Lincoln, Ipswich, Worcester, and Burton-on-Trent; county councils: West Suffolk, East Suffolk, and Lincoln (Lindsey).
§ Mr. ASTORasked the President of the Local Government Board how many tuberculosis officers have been appointed; and how many of them do not possess the qualifications recommended by the Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis and approved by the Local Government Board in their Memorandum of 14th May, 1912, and repeated in their Memorandum of 6th, July, 1912?
§ Mr. BURNSThe appointments of seventy-eight tuberculosis officers have been approved by the Local Government Board; approval has been given in these cases after obtaining the concurrence of the Insurance Commissioners, and the officers appointed possess the necessary qualifications. There may be some cases of appointments which have been made, but which have not yet been reported to the Board.
§ Mr. ASTORasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will state why special powers in regard to the compulsory isolation of persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis have been given to some corporations and refused to others?
§ Mr. BURNSI have referred to the notes of the evidence taken by the Local Legislation Committee in regard to the Bradford Corporation Bill of this Session, and I observe that the Chairman stated that these powers "have been the subject of consideration by this Committee two or three times this Session as well as last Session, and that the attitude of the Committee hitherto has been that only proof of exceptional circumstances has justified the granting of the powers."