§ Mr. BARKERasked the President of the Board of Education if he is prepared to issue to local education authorities a special instruction to take immediate steps to provide the necessary open-air school accommodation for the increasing number of children in the mining areas who, by reason of the distress prevailing, are suffering from latent tuberculosis, debility and anæmia; and will he consider whether the emergency calls for special organisation on behalf of the child sufferers from industrial depression?
§ Lord E. PERCYIn regard to the general question of open-air schools. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 17th February last. I am inclined to doubt whether the effect of the industrial depression in mining areas on the health of the children has been as serious or as general as the hon. Member suggests, and whether any ill-health which does exist can be dealt with by the provision of open-air schools accommodation, but I am taking steps to have a special inquiry made by one of the Board's medical officers into the whole situation in South Wales.