§ Mr. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schoolchildren have undergone radiographic inspection in each year since 1948, including the figures available for the 35W current year; what are the factors limiting an extension of this service: and what steps he has in mind to reach the goal of an annual inspection for each child.
§ Mr. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many radiographic machines are owned by local authorities in Scotland; how many authorities are without such a unit; and to what extent the machines are used for examining schoolchildren.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe number of children under the age of 15 examined by mass radiography units in Scotland have been as follows:
1948 21,349 1949 34,675 1950 30,031 1951 39,448 1952 43,669 1953 (to 30th June) 28,928 Annual routine examinations of all schoolchildren would be an unprofitable use of diagnostic resources, but it is reasonable to aim at examining every child once before the age of 15. This would involve some 80,000 examinations a year.
There are at present eight mass radiography units in Scotland, and these will shortly be increased to 10, with a total capacity of the order of 400,000 examinations a year. These are operated, not by local authorities, but by. regional hospital boards. The groups for examination are, however, selected in consultation with local health and education authorities throughout the country, and boards are ready to co-operate with education authorities in providing as full as possible an examination service for schoolchildren on the basis indicated above.