[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Your correspondent " Feminist
" does less than justice to the Local Authorities. The reason why a larger number of Local Authorities have not implemented the Ministry of Health's Memorandum 153 is because many Authorities find it convenient to arrange for attendances by the women at a private Birth Control Centre within the district and, of course, discharge the cost of the attendances.
It would not, therefore, be fair to accept the implication of her statement, which is that a very large number of Local Authorities fail to provide for contraceptive instruction, even in cases where further pregnancy would be detrimental to health. I should be interested to hear whether the case of a single Authority, which does not provide a source of information under these circumstances, can be quoted, for I would seriously doubt whether such an Authority exists. The real difficulty is, of course, that the Local Authorities have no general power to establish Birth Control Clinics and can only work within the limits of Memorandum 153, a defect which can only be remedied by legislation.—I am,
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