§ Mr. P. Thorneycroftasked the Minister of Health if he will publish a statement for the last convenient annual period for each local health authority area in Wales and Monmouthshire, showing the number of domiciliary births attended by a midwife only; the number of such births in which analgesia was administered; the total number of midwives employed; and the number of these midwives provided with their own transport in the form of a car or a car allowance.
231W
§ Mr. BevanThe latest information available on the first three parts of the Question relates to the period 5th July, 1948 (the date on which the National Health Service came into operation), to
Local Heath Authority Total number of domiciliary midwives in public and private practice at 31st December, 1948 Number of domiciliary confinements in which midwives in charge in the period 5th July to 31st December, 1948 Number of domiciliary confinements in which gas and air analgesia administered by midwives in the period 5th July to 31st December,1948 Anglesey C.C. … 27 139 25 Brecon C.C. … 33 242 69 Caernarvon C.C. … 46 223 Nil* Cardigan C.C. … 35 90 8 Carmarthen C.C. … 91 602 77 Denbigh C.C. … 65 363 52 Flint C.C. … 50 351 28 Glamorgan C.C. … 203 3,074 968 Merioneth C.C. … 35 88 Nil* Monmouth C.C. … 99 1,481 320 Montgomery C.C. … 31 111 32 Pembroke C.C. … 69 288 30 Radnor C.C. … 24 56 46 Cardiff C.B.C. … 35 711 528 Merthyr C.B.C. … 13 262 Nil* Newport C.B.C. … 20 261 50 Swansea C.B.C. … 25 391 71 Totals … 901 8,733 2,304 *Gas and air analgesia is now being used in the domiciliary midwifery service in Caernarvonshire; and the other two authorities are arranging for it to be used in their domiciliary midwifery service, the necessary apparatus having been ordered.