§ Mr. Viantasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been directed to a statement made by the medical officer of health to the Launceston Town Council that he had been advised by the Minister of Health that the consent of the teacher in charge of evacuated children to his proposal to inoculate them against diphtheria would be sufficient; and will he take steps to ensure that parents, in consenting to have their children evacuated, retain the right to be consulted in regard to such matters as diphtheria immunisation?
§ Mr. ElliotMy attention has not been drawn to this statement and I cannot understand how it could have been made. It would be quite contrary to the policy1586W and instructions of my Department for evacuated children to be immunised against diphtheria without the previous consent of their parents.
§ Mr. Isaacsasked the Minister of Health whether any steps have been taken in the reception areas to deal with the anticipated measles epidemic which, over some period past, has occurred regularly every two years?
§ Mr. ElliotI have drawn the attention of local authorities to the need for additional hospital accommodation in reception areas for cases of infectious diseases both notifiable and non-notifiable.
I am also issuing regulations providing for the compulsory notification of measles and instructing medical officers of health to make such inquiries and take such steps as are necessary or desirable for investigating the source of infection, for preventing the spread of infection and for removing conditions favourable to infection.
§ Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the increasing expression of resentment among parents respecting financial anomalies arising from evacuation and, in particular, the refusal to pay billeting allowances for children evacuated to, or left with, relations in response to the Government appeal, which is causing hardship to the parents or the relatives and is inducing certain of the parents to bring their children home; and whether he will now reconsider this aspect of evacuation?
§ Mr. ElliotAs I stated in a written answer to the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean (Mr. Price) on the 19th October, the recommendation that children from the evacuation areas who were then on holiday in less vulnerable areas should not be brought back home was broadcast at the outbreak of war on grounds of general safety. The billeting allowances are payable to householders upon whom children are billeted by a billeting authority. Relatives who have children staying with them are admittedly in a position quite different from that of householders with children billeted upon them, and therefore do not come under the arrangements of the evacuation scheme.