§ Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Health the number of deaths from tuberculosis giving males and females separately and the death rate based on number of residents, in the county and borough mental hospitals of England and Wales in 1941; and, for purpose of comparison, similar figures for the previous three years?
§ Miss HorsbrughI regret that the complete figures for 1941 will not be available for some weeks. I will send them with the other figures for which he asks to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take in view of the 40 per cent, increase in deaths from tuberculosis in mental hospitals already shown in the figures for 529W 1940; and whether such action will include the X-ray examination of all residents in mental institutions so as to discover the incipient cases of tuberculosis before this disease reaches dangerous proportions in these institutions?
§ Miss HorsbrughThe incidence of tuberculosis is being closely watched by the Board of Control, and, so far as is practicable with the greatly depleted medical and nursing staffs, radiological examination and other modem methods of diagnosis are being employed to detect incipient cases.