Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that, contrary to the information given to him, Mr. J. F. Letham was not admitted to a sanatorium on the 17th July and has not yet been admitted; that he has been waiting 13 weeks and has been informed that cases are taken in rotation and he is some distance down the list; whether he will cause inquiry to be made as to the delay and immediate steps to be taken to admit Mr. Letham to a sanatorium; and whether in view of the fact that 175 insured persons are being kept waiting by the Lancashire Insurance Committee, steps will be taken to secure more beds?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am informed by the Lancashire Insurance Committee that Mr. Letham will be admitted to a sanatorium as soon as possible; that the county council public health committee at their294W meeting on Thursday last passed resolutions asking the county council to apply to the Local Government Board for loans amounting to approximately £30,000 for the provision of additional sanatorium accommodation; that it is proposed to erect three sanatoria at High Carley, near Ulverston; Heath Charnock, near Chorley; and Orrell, near Wigan; that these institutions will contain about 178 beds, and plans are at the present time being considered by the Local Government Board; that in addition, the county public health committee are on the point of entering into an agreement with the Fylde, Preston and Garstang Joint Smallpox Hospital committee to take on lease for a period of twenty-one years the hospital erected at Elswick some years ago for small-pox purposes, and that this institution with the proposed addition will accommodate about 60 patients.