§ Mr. CURRIEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will publish a list of the various bodies, such as insurance committees, approved societies, etc., who have submitted to him objections to a suggested Bill to confer upon the Local Government Board in England certain powers which have for long been vested in the Local Government Board for Scotland and which have been used in Scotland for the preservation of 1402W infant life; and whether he will now print and circulate the suggested Bill so that the public can consider whether it is calculated to place an obstacle in the way of the establishment later on, if so determined, of a Ministry of Health?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERIn reply to the first part of the question, I would refer to the answer which I gave on the 14th instant to the hon. Member for the Atterc[...]ffe Division of Sheffield. As has been already stated, the Bill, which I am anxious to introduce, would be one for conferring on sanitary authorities and county councils in England and Wales the same powers in regard to maternity and infant welfare as were conferred on local authorities in Scotland and Ireland by the Notification of Births (Extension) Act, 1915, namely, the power to make such arrangements as they think fit, and as may be sanctioned by the Local Government Board, for attending to the health of expectant mothers and nursing mothers, and of children who have not attained the age of five years and are not being educated in schools recognised by the Board of Education. I shall be very glad to see the Bill introduced and printed.