asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, as representing the Ministry of Health, the total number of insurance committees in England, the total number of members, and the total expense of the meetings, including railway fares, payments to members for loss of time, and for subsistence; and whether, in the interests of economy, he is prepared to consider the advisability of reducing either the number of committees or the number of members of each committee?

There are 128 insurance committees in England with an aggregate membership of 3,130. In 1922 the total expenditure on travelling was £2,005 and the payment for subsistence and loss of remunerative time was £1,658. The National Health Insurance Act, 1921, reduced the minimum membership from 40 to 20 and the maximum from 80 to 40, and the revised limits have not yet been in operation sufficiently long to indicate whether any further reduction in the size of these committees is practicable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, as representing the Ministry of Health, if he can modify the requirements that all domestic servants, particularly in holiday resorts and in houses where only very few visitors are taken during the season, shall pay health insurance contributions; is he aware that in some cases as much as two years' arrears have been demanded; and, as this makes it difficult for employers who employ few servants to secure maids, will he cause instructions for exemption from health insurance to be issued in respect of servants who are casual and who only take employment for a few months in the year?

Domestic servants, whether employed in private houses or in boarding or apartment houses, are required to be insured under the National Health Insurance Acts under the same conditions as other persons who are employed within the meaning of the Acts. It is, however, open to any person who is employed for less than 13 weeks in each of two consecutive contribution years to apply for exemption from the liability to pay the employé's share of the weekly contribution during periods of employment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, as representing the Ministry of Health, if he can state the number of insured persons suffering from tuberculosis who are now being treated in Poor Law institutions; and, as tilt intention of the National Health Insurance Act was to provide suitable institutional treatment other than under the Poor Law, what, if anything, is being done to provide further accommodation?

I have no precise information as to the number of tuberculous persons now receiving treatment in Poor Law institutions. As regards the second part of the question, the residential accommodation for the treatment of tuberculosis under the schemes of local health authorities in England (which at present comprises upwards of 19,000 beds) has increased during the past two years by approximately 2,350 beds, while some 1,000 additional beds are in course of provision.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether, in view of the opinion of the medical fraternity in favour of vaccination, he will take steps to amend the Vaccination Act so that the power of parent or other person having the custody of a child to make a statutory declaration of conscientious objection to vaccination, as embodied in Section 1 of the Vaccination Act, 1907, shall he abolished?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for the Withington Division on this subject on the 6th December last. It is not proposed to introduce legislation for the Amendment of thee. Vaccination Acts during the present Session.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether the Report, of the officer of the Ministry who held an inquiry into the administration of Poor Law relief in the Sheffield Union has been received and considered; and when it is proposed that the Report should be published?

This Report has been received and is under consideration. The question of its publication has not yet been decided.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether he is aware that great delay has arisen in auditing the accounts of the Metropolitan boroughs for the year ended 31st March, 1922; and whether he can state the reason of such delay, and the number of boroughs the audit of whose accounts for that year have not yet been commenced?

A communication has been received From the Borough Council of Deptford on the subject, and I understand that in this and two other cases the audit for the year in question has not yet been commenced. The delay is mainly due to the fact that sonic of the accounts for preceding years were not ready for the auditor until a late date. I may add that it is anticipated that in the case of all the Metropolitan boroughs, including Deptford, the audits will be completed before the end of next month.