asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the alarm which is created when the allowances are stopped, he will arrange for allowances to tuberculous patients to continue, in cases which are considered incurable, on the same terms as for curable cases.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for New Forest and Christchurch (Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyre) on 18th October, of which I am sending him a copy.

Would the Minister look again at this situation, because these people, when they are deprived of their allowances, are, in effect, receiving a death sentence?

This is a most grievous and painful affair. I have not, however, any powers to alter the situation. I will look into the administration to see whether I have sufficient powers to alleviate it but, as my hon. Friend well knows, this and other anomalies will, I hope, be ironed out when we have the all-in scheme of National Insurance.