§ Mr. PENNYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give the figures of the death rate percentage for the years 1922, 1923 and 1924, in Singapore and Penang, attributable to tuberculosis; whether bad housing is in any way responsible; and what steps are being taken to prevent overcrowding and to deal with the disease generally?
§ Mr. AMERYThe death rates per 1,000 for the years 1922, 1923 and 1924 in Singapore and Penang, attributable to tuberculosis, were as follow:
Singapore Penang. 1922 … … 3.77 3.81 1923 … … 3.16 3.57 1924 … … 2.36 3.89 There can be no doubt that overcrowding plays an important part in the spread of this disease. In Singapore, as far as Europeans are concerned, the housing 1836W situation shows a steady improvement. In a recent despatch the Officer Administering the Government reported that, as a result of the action taken by the Government, the Municipality, the Harbour Board and, on a smaller scale, by the mercantile firms for housing their officers, the housing difficulty may be considered solved for Europeans.
The prevention of overcrowding among the general population presents a much more difficult problem.
A general scheme for the relief of overcrowding in congested areas has, however, been prepared. Steps have been taken to acquire large areas of land for building sites, and the Colonial Government proposes to set aside a sum. of $10,000,000 to finance these operations.
A draft Town Improvement Bill is also at present under consideration by the Municipal Commissioners.
I regret that I am not in possession of any recent information in regard to housing conditions in Penang, or in regard to any special steps being taken to deal with this particular disease, other than the housing measures referred to above.