Mr. Creech Jonesasked the Minister of Health whether he has prepared any estimate of the probable public expenditure on the immunisation of children against diphtheria; and what will be the cost to the State of supplying diphtheria prophylactic to local councils as recently arranged by the Ministry?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe cost of immunisation of children against diphtheria falls under the two main heads of payment for medical services and cost of prophylactic substances. As the work may in part be carried out by local authorities' own salaried medical staff and in part by general practitioners under varying financial arrangements with local authorities it is not possible to estimate expenditure under this head. The cost of supplying prophylactic is estimated at about £7,000 per million children, or rather more than 1èd. per child.