Mr. NUGENTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that the Local Government Boards in Great Britain have urged on the Treasury the necessity of relaxing the regulation prohibiting expenditure of the unexpended balance of the Capital Grant under the National Health Insurance Act, 1911, so that certain local authorities should be provided with their share for erecting and equipping institutions for the treatment of tuberculosis; whether he is aware that, as the result, the money has been made available in Great Britain; that the Irish Local Government Board represented that there was no necessity for relaxing the regulation mentioned, and consequently Ireland is deprived of the unexpended balance of her share of the capital grant, amounting to £120,000; and, seeing that in Ireland the necessity for urgent accommodation is greater than in Great Britain, as evidenced by the fact that, owing to the want of proper institutional accommodation for 684W advanced cases, such cases are admitted to sanatoria where early eases are under treatment, and, owing to the increasing demand for accommodation for advanced cases in consequence of the War, civilian eases in the early stages of tuberculosis cannot secure beds in sanatoria, and are thereby a source of infection in their homes, and as evidenced by the Returns of the death rates from tuberculosis of the Registrar-Generals, will he say what action he proposes to take?
§ Mr. DUKEA proposal for relaxing the regulation indicated, so far as may be necessary to provide accommodation in Great Britain for tuberculous men discharged from the Army and Navy, is under consideration. As regards the second and third parts of the question, the hon. Member is misinformed. Any action to be taken in Ireland will be governed by the decision of His Majesty's Government on the general question.