§ Mr. CAIRNSasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that at the Stannington (Nothumberland) institution for tuberculous children one-third of the beds are vacant; that many children who suffer from the above complaint, owing to the lack of monetary support from the Health Department, are unable to benefit from such institution; and will he consider the desirability of increasing the grants?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMy information is that the number of empty beds at the Stannington Sanatorium at the beginning of the present month amounted to about one-fifth of the total number of beds at the institution. As the total amount of the grants cannot exceed the sum voted by Parliament for this service. I regret that it is not practicable to increase the amounts of the grants for the current financial year which have already been communicated to the local authorities.