§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will introduce legislation or extend the scope 69W of the Civil Contingencies Fund in such a way as to provide for the payment of compensation to the owners of, and workers in, hotels, boarding houses, shops and other businesses who have sustained loss or damage by reason of epidemics;
(2) whether he will now seek special powers to enable him to provide compensation for the business concerns in Aberdeen, including the hotel and tourist industry which has suffered material loss as a result of the typhoid epidemic.
§ Mr. NobleNo. I sympathise with those who have suffered financial loss as a result of the typhoid epidemic in Aberdeen, but I do not think that on the information at present available a case for payment of compensation from the Exchequer has been established.
§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a further statement on the typhoid epidemic in Aberdeen.
§ Mr. NobleYesterday afternoon there were 438 patients in hospital in Aberdeen: 414 of these were confirmed cases of typhoid fever and 24 were suspected cases under investigation. In the last ten days the number of cases has declined from 450 to 438. Because of the length of the incubation period it is not yet possible to say with certainty that there will be no more cases, but there are good grounds for hoping that the epidemic has now been checked. In view of this outcome I do not think it possible to praise too highly the work of the public health and hospital authorities and the people of Aberdeen. The Committee of Inquiry has started its investigations into the cause of the outbreak.