§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken, and with what success, during the last ten years to prevent and cure tuberculosis and bronchial diseases, respectively.
§ Mr. MaclayThere has been a progressive improvement in the control of tuberculosis in recent years as the result of new and improved methods of treatment, more active case-finding measures, and the use of preventive vaccination. Between 1947 and 1957 the death-rate from pulmonary tuberculosis fell from 66 to 33 per 100,000. During the successful two years' mass radiography campaign, which has just been completed, over half the adult population of Scotland were X-rayed, enabling some 5,500 new cases of active tuberculosis to be brought under control. This progress in dealing with tuberculosis is now making it possible for the hospital and general practitioner services to concentrate more on bronchitis and other diseases of the lung which have hitherto had less attention.