§ Mr. Hannahasked the Minister of Health whether, with a view to obtaining more information on the subject, he will 639W consider the appointment of a Royal Commission on the whole problem of infant mortality and the birth rate?
§ Mr. ElliotOn the problem of infantile mortality, the development and improvement of the maternity and child welfare service is a matter which engages the constant attention of my Department, and my hon. Friend will be aware of the fall in mortality which the statistics for recent years have revealed. On the problem of the birth rate, I think that, as I stated in reply to a previous question, we must await the accumulation of the information which is now beginning to be available under the Population (Statistics) Act, 1938.