PUBLIC HEALTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22165, 19 July 1935, Page 11

PUBLIC HEALTH

COMMONS DEBATE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN QUESTION OF MORTALITY HEATED ARGUMENT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 18. 6.5 p.m.) LONDON. July 17 The Minister of Health, Sir Kingsley Wood, in reviewing the work of his department in the House of Commons to-day, said the creation of the scheme of national health insurance had been one of the most remarkable developments in public health in the last quarter of a century. The scheme had disbursed benefits

to the value of £450,000,000. It had been copied by 12 other countries and representatives of many countries had come to England to study the working of the scheme. The provisions of the -widows and old age pension scheme were heing steadily expanded and it now included 6.000.W0 old age pensions, 600,000 widows' pensions, supplemented by 270.000 additional allowances in respect of children, and 35.000 orphans' pensions.

No country in the world had made such provision for millions of people against- some of the most serious disabilities of life. Maternal Mortality Problem During the four years to March 31, 1935, about 1,000.000 houses had been built, and for the first six months of 1935 new houses for slum replacement had been sanctioned at a rate of more than 6000 a month.

England and Wales had not solved the problem of reducing maternal mortality, and it would require patience. However, special inquiries were proceeding which it was hoped would be an aid to understanding of and attention to this matter. There had been a great awakening of the national conscience on health, particularly on housing affairs, and the nation itself was learning greater com-mon-sense in health matters, including diet, the increased use of daylight and open air leisure and recreation. Opposition speakers criticised the Government's housing programme as inadequate und alleged that many of the new houses were Jerry-built.

Lady Astor Causes a Scene There was a scene when Viscountess Astor (Conservative —Sutton') declared that the malnutrition of children was not due to poverty but to mothers not knowing the right kind of food to give them. Labour cries of dissent. Lady Astor: I am talking about what I know.

Mr. D. G. Logan (Labour —Liverpool, Scotland"): So are we. Lady Astor: The member for Liverpool is talking about what he thinks he knows.

Continuing, Lady Astor called attention to maternal mortality, a proportion of which, she alleged, was due to illegal operations which could be avoided by birth control. A woman married a working man who earned low wages and, after bearing three children, naturally she did not want another, and died in avoiding it.

Mr. Logan: Has she not the right not to want another? Lady Astor: I am trying to give her a chance.

Labour Member's Fierce Attack

Continuing, Lady Astor said: Once I did not believe in birth control clinics. When I went and saw appalling things, however, I changed my mind. I beg the House to face the need for proper instructions for mothers.

Mr. Logan fiercely denounced Lady Astor's speech. He said this knowledge would be one of the curses of the. age. It was only fit for the gutter, It was not the poor but the wealthy who feared to have children. Lady Astor: I had six. Mr. Logan, in reply to an interruption later, said: I have listened to the member until I am fed up. Mr. W. McKeag (Liberal —Durham) congratulated Lady Astor upon her courageous speech. Mr. G. Shakespeare, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, in reply, said the Ministry refused to be drawn into a controversy. Its policy was that it was wrong for a clinic to birth control advice, except where health was endangered.