Mr. A. T. DAVIESasked the President of the Board of Education whether he has read the "Hygiene of Food and Drink," which is a syllabus of lessons for use in schools and notes for the assistance of teachers, recently issued by the Board of Education; whether he took steps to obtain impartial advice; whether some of the advice given in the syllabus is in direct opposition to some of the best medical opinions in the Doctors' Manifesto, published in the "Lancet," under date 17th March, 1907; and whether he will cause the syllabus to be withdrawn or, alternatively, give an assurance that such syllabus, which at present takes a side on a highly controversial question, shall be revised?
Mr. H. LEWISThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. The advice given in the syllabus, which is directed against excess in food and drink, is in strict accord with the best medical opinion of the present time, and the Board had the advantage of the assistance of representative medical authorities in compiling the syllabus. I do not propose to withdraw the syllabus, but, as I have already said in this House, any specific criticisms or suggestions will be carefully considered by the Board with a view to the improvement of future issues.
Sir J. D. REESasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware of the public dissatisfaction arising from the action of his department in issuing a syllabus called "The Hygiene of Food and Drink," which is compounded of controversial and disputable propositions put forward on behalf of teetotal or prohibitionist propaganda; and whether, in justice to the general tax and ratepayer who is committed to neither extreme, such syllabus will now be withdrawn?
Mr. H. LEWISI am not aware that there is any marked public dissatisfaction with regard to this syllabus, and I would refer the hon. Baronet to the answer which I gave him on 3rd November and the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Sir A. Holbrook) on 29th November.
1767W