§ Mr. G. BALFOURasked the Minister of Health whether he: intends to reduce the grant given by the Ministry of Health to the Brondesbury and West Hampstead Crêche by the amount of £50, being half the special grant of £100 given last year by the Hampstead Borough Council to enable the crêche to reopen; and whether he is aware that the crêche may have to close if the grant be thus reduced?
§ Sir A. MONDI should much regret the closure of this crêche, but since the total State grant payable in aid of voluntary maternity and child welfare agencies, including the grant payable to a local authority in aid of contributions to such agencies, is limited to half the net expenditure, I am bound to reduce the direct grant to the crêche by the amount of the grant payable on the borough council's contributions to it.