asked the Minister of Health whether, in order to reduce maternal mortality, his Department is taking steps to require that a higher standard of gynaecological tuition be given to medical students so that inexpert midwifery need no longer be permitted by the licensing authorities; and will he state what those steps are?

After the publication of the interim report of the Departmental Committee on Maternal Mortality, my predecessor communicated with the Lord President of the Council asking him to transmit the report officially to the General Medical Council with special reference to the education of medical students in obstetrics. I am informed that, since this correspondence, the resolutions of the Council in regard to professional education which relate to instruction in midwifery, etc., have twice been revised, namely, on 24th November, 1932, and on 29th May, 1936, with effect from 1st November, 1938, and that the standard both for medical students and for midwives is being steadily raised.