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Estimate of July last for 1922/23. The following table shows the comparative figures and results :

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Relief of Dependants of 7,250 5,800 4,500
Repatriated Russians.

4,430,149 2,946,399 2,482,772

Less Appropriations- 1,054,150 549,000 912,298*

- 238,450 31%

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Gross Total

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in-Aid.

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896,320

11,443 Dec. 26% 181,404

60%

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552,620

30,030

22%

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827,750

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*The increase in Appropriations-in-Aid is mainly due to further receipts of £350,000 from sale of housing material.

It will be seen from the above table that the Revised Estimate shows a reduction of £826,925 as compared with the Provisional Estimate and shows a reduction of 53 per cent. as compared with the Estimate of 1921/22.

With regard to this Revised Estimate, which represents the application of the recommendations which we previously made on the Ministry of Health Estimates, we only wish to comment on the following matters :

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The drastic cut made in July last in the Housing programme extended also to Scotland, the latter's share of Local Authority Housing Scheme houses being cut down to 25,550 as against England's 176,000. The following table shows a comparison of the figures for Housing Grants as estimated for 1921/22, as provisionally estimated for 1922/23, and as they now appear in the Revised Estimate for 1922/23:

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The Scottish Estimate of their deficit on Local Authorities' Housing Schemes in 1922/23 is £300,000 only as against the English figure of £10,000,000. This appears to be very favourable to the Scottish schemes when compared with the English figure on a population basis. The explanation is, however, that owing to the greater difficulties of securing labour and materials, the progress of building in Scotland has been very much slower than in England and whereas the subsidy to Local Authorities in England will practically reach its maximum in 1922/23, in Scotland the maximum deficit will not be reached till 1923/24, and possibly not till the year after that. Further, Local Authorities in Scotland have their accounts made up to 15th May. They receive payments on account from time to time, but any final balance due to them in respect of their financial year is paid in the next Government financial year. We fear, therefore, that the full deficit in Scotland is only postponed, but, on the other hand, the slow rate of building in Scotland will react favourably on the total deficit in that a much larger proportion of houses will be constructed during the period of falling prices than in the case of England.

5. Public Health Services.

Under this heading are included Grants for various Services, as in the case of the Ministry of Health. The following table shows the recurrent expenditure:

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We do not, however, think it would be fair to rely solely on a fixed proportion of the Grants for England and Wales in arriving at the amount of the Grants for Scotland for these Public Health Services, because local circumstances and the amount of progress made in recent years differ in the two countries and we think that each of the Services should be dealt with individually.

6. Tuberculosis (Maintenance and Capital).

(a) Maintenance.-The total provision, actual and prospective, of beds in England and Wales for the treatment of Tuberculosis is 22,750. The comparable figure for Scotland is 4,688. The English figure represents a drastic reduction of the provision agreed between the Treasury and the Ministry of Health in February, 1921. The Scottish Board of Health, on the other hand, appears to have made no corresponding reduction. It is admitted that Tuberculosis is more prevalent in Scotland than in England and Wales, and consequently, we understand the Treasury allowed a more generous margin to Scotland than in the case of England. On the other hand, the actual number of beds available in Scotland is higher than the Treasury contemplated.

We recommend that the grant for Scotish Tuberculosis maintenance should be limited to £269,000, which is the latest Estimate of the expenditure in 1921/22 (excluding non-recurrent items), and this is much more than the Grant would be on the proportionate basis of England and Wales.

(b) Capital. A provision of £24,000 is asked for in the Revised Estimate, in respect of capital expenditure on Sanatoria. We would, however, point out that under the Finance Act, 1911, a sum of £1,500,000 was earmarked for Sanatoria Capital Grants in the Consolidated Fund. Of this sum, Scotland's share amounted to £158,000. We are informed that Scotland still has in hand sufficient to meet such capital expenditure on Sanatoria as is likely to be incurred in 1921/22 and 1922/23. In these circumstances, we recommend that the Scottish Board of Health should meet their capital expenditure out of the remaining balance which they have in hand, and that the additional Grant of £24,000 should be withheld.

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As in the case of a similar item in the Ministry of Health Estimates, we suggest that as this expense was, until recently, borne by the locality, the Exchequer Grant should cease.

9. Constitution of Board

The present constitution of the Scottish Board of Health is made up of the following paid members :—

1 Chairman,

1 Member,

2 Medical Members,

1 Legal Member,

1 Woman Member,

making 6 in all, with salaries ranging from £1,000 to £1,800 per annum, together with bonus in all cases. We are not sufficiently acquainted with the duties of the Board to be able to make a recommendation on this matter, but it has been suggested to us that the present number of members is excessive and might be reduced to 3, viz., a Chairman and 2 other administrative members. Any such change would require amendment of the Scottish Board of Health Act, 1919, but nevertheless we suggest that the matter should be dealt with.

CONCLUSIONS.

As a result of our consideration, we are of opinion that:—

The revised Estimate shows a proper reduction in accordance with the principles contained in our recommendations on the Ministry of Health Estimates in our First Interim Report, but that further reductions should be made in the case of certain grants for Public Health Services, with a consequent further

saving of £42,000. The reductions on the Provisional Estimate for 1922/23 will therefore be :—

1. Reductions proposed by the Scottish Board of
Health to conform with the recommenda-
tions in our First Interim Report on the
Ministry of Health

...

...

2. Further reductions as recommended above

Total Reduction

£

...

826,925

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The Provisional Net Estimate will thus be reduced to £1,528,474.

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