Maternity clinics

Extract from a minute sheet which captured the Government’s position on the role of Maternity and Infant Welfare Centres and birth control advice, 3 March 1925 and a letter from the Ministry of Health, 16 March 1925 to Leyton District Council on the matter (Catalogue ref: MH 79/263)

Transcript

MINUTE SHEET                         Reference IIId/165004/7/25

Mr. Maclachlan

You will remember the first official pronouncement made on the subject of Birth Control was when Sir Alfred Mond saw a deputation in February, 1922, and told them he had adopted the following principles-:

  1. That the Maternity and Infant Welfare Centre should deal only with the expectant or nursing mother and infant, and not with the married or unmarried woman contemplating the application of contraceptive methods;
  2. That it is not the function of an ante-natal centre to give advice in regard to birth control, and that exceptional cases in which the avoidance of pregnancy seems desirable on medical grounds should be referred for particular advice to a private practitioner or hospital.

Successive Ministers have endorsed these principles, although considerable numbers of resolutions in favour of withdrawing the embargo from centres aided by public funds have been received. A total of 1618 individual resolutions have been received, prompted by the Malthusian League, in addition to the 100 from local branches of the Labour Party and women’s organisations; about 61 resolutions have been received on the other side, all from Catholic organisations.

I annex a copy of the specimen letter as now sent out to local authorities and others who ask whether Birth Control may be taught in their centres, and also the file with regard to the deputation received on the 28th July last when some small alterations in the formula were suggested …


Ministry of Health

Whitehall

S.W.1.

 

16th March, 1925

Sir,
I am directed by the Ministry of Health to avert to you letter of the 10th instant with regard to the subject of birth control, and to state that the Minister has adopted the policy lad down which is set out in the following principles:

  • That the Maternity and Infant Welfare Centre should deal only with the expectant or nursing mother and infant, and not with the married or unmarried woman contemplating the application of contraceptive methods;
  • That it is not the function of an Ante-natal Centre or Maternity and Child Welfare Centre to give advice in regard to birth control, and that exceptional cases in which the avoidance of pregnancy seems desirable on medical grounds should be referred for particular advice to a private practitioner or hospital.

I am to point out that these Centres are maintained out of public funds to which people of all opinions are required to contribute, and the Minister considers that without the express authority of Parliament he would not be justified in assenting to the use of the Centres for a purpose on which public opinion is so acutely divided.

I am Sir,

Your obedient Sevant,

(Sgd)  Z.L. Puxley

Clerk to the

Urban District Council of Leyton

Town Hall.

Leyton, E.10

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