HEALTH SAFEGUARDS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21200, 24 August 1940, Page 4

HEALTH SAFEGUARDS

AMENDING LEGISLATION DRAINLAYERS’ REGISTRATION (By Teleg-rapn.—Special to Jlmes) WELLINGTON, Friday The Health Amendment Bill was put through all stages and passed in a little over an hour and a-half in the House of Representatives today. Moving the second reading, the Minister of Health, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said the section giving protection from civil or criminal liability to persons acting under authority of the Health Act was deemed necessary so that inspectors might be able to take up a more courageous attitude in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Similar protection was given in the Australian Act, and, he thought, in the English Act. The Minister was informed that the regulations for the registration of drainlayers and funeral directors were well under way. How far they would go, he added, remained to be seen. The clause concerning drainlayers had been approved by the Municipal Association. Disease Problem The Minister explained that a clause making three social diseases notifiable diseases would give the department statutory authority to take action. The department was following other countries and this clause would give it greater power to deal effectively with the problem. The purpose of another clause, said Mr Armstrong, was to make every form of tuberculosis notifiable.

Answering objections by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, and Mr H. G. Dickie (Opposition— Patea) to the regulations covering drainlayers, Mr Armstrong said there was no intention to make it compulsory for drainlaying or plumbing to be done by registered men in the country. Instead of a drainlayer, say, in Auckland, being required to obtain 13 permits, one would be given by the Health part meat.