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663 Parliamentary Intelligence. NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. The Parliamentary Session. PARLIAMENT resumed on Tuesday, Oct. 16th, after the autumn recess. A Mtdwives Bill for Ireland. Mr. DUKF, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, proposes to introduce a Midwives Bill for Ireland at an early date. 1Var Pensions Committees. A Bill has been presented in the House of Commons by Mr. HODGE, the Minister of Pensions, for the purpose of providing for the inclusion on local committees constituted under the Naval and Military War Pensions Act of repre- sentatives of disabled men discharged from the Naval and Military Services of His Majesty. It has been read a first time. --- HOUSE OF COMMONS. TUESDAY, OCT. 16TH. A Circular Memorandum. Mr. PRINGLE asked the Under Secretary for War whether a confidential letter was issued by the Director-General of Medical Service in June to deputy directors of medical service with reference to expediting the discharge of wounded men from hospitals; and, if so, whether he would publish the letter.-Mr. MACPHERSON replied : My honourable friend is referring, I think, to a circular memorandum issued by the Deputy Director of Medical Services, Scottish Com- mand, on June 26th last. I have ascertained that this circular was not based upon any special instructions from the War Office but upon general principles. As I said in debate on August 17th, I do not think that the interpretation placed upon it by my honourable friend is borne out by the complete text, a copy of which I will place in the library. Instructions to Medical Boards. Mr. BONAR LAW (Chancellor of the Exchequer) informed Mr. PRINGLE that the instructions to medical boards under the new authority had been drawn up and were now being printed. They would shortly be laid upon the table of the House. Amendment of Insurance Act. Answering Mr. HoCrGE, who asked when it was proposed to introduce a new Insurance Bill, Sir E. CORNWALL (repre- senting the National Insurance Commissioners) said: I hope to be in a position to give the desired information shortly. I Women Workers in V.A.D. Hospitals. Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEY asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he would take an early opportunity of making it known whether women workers and nurses voluntarily or for partial remuneration had undertaken all the arduous and various duties in connexion with Voluntary Aid Detachment hospitals for our wounded soldiers; whether ]2e was aware that many thousands of these women had been carrying on their work for the whole period of the war, mostly unnoticed and often forgotten; whether he would remember that a number of them had continued to carry out their duties at serious sacrifices of both health and money; and, whether in the circumstances, he would make such humble representations to His Majesty as would favourably place before him the claims of these women who had already earned the national gratitude to some honour- able but inexpensive recognition such as a distinctive ribbon, so that all those who merited it should be able to receive such an honour now instead of their being made to wait until some unknown period after the war when many of them might have been forced by illness, death, or other circum- stances to cease their work.-Mr. BONAR LAW answered: The Government is fully aware of the facts to which my honourable and gallant friend refers in the first three parts of his question. As regards the last part he may rest assured that every endeavour is being made, in conjunction with the chairman of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and of the Central Joint Voluntary Aid Detachment Committee, to afford such recognition as is possible of the services of these ladies, and when final details respecting the award of the Order of the British Empire have been settled further particulars for the award will be available. I am informed that neither the War Office nor the other departments con- cerned regard with favour the suggestion that a distinctive ribbon should be instituted. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17TH. Recruiting ]}Iedical Boards. Mr. HOGGE asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Service whether he could now state which of the recommendations of the Select Committee on Medical Boards the Government had adopted ; and whether it was proposed to provide any means whereby men improperly passed into the Army could appeal their cases.-Mr. BECK replied: The organisation of recruit- ing medical boards is being transferred from the War Office to the Ministry of National Service. After a date early in November all men waiting to be called up for military service or holding a certificate of tempo- rary or conditional exemption may claim to be graded by one of the National Service Medical Boards. Such re- examination will not interfere with a subsequent appeal to an appeal tribunal. The machinery for making appeals to appeal tribunals for re-examination will also be ready early in November. Medical assessors acting with the appeal tribunals will re-examine all men whose applications for re- examination are granted by the appeal tribunals. The finding of the appeal tribunal assessors will be final as regards a man’s physical condition. The appeal tribunals and their assessors are to be administered by the Local Government Board. Attested men will have the same rights of appeal as unattested men. I THURSDAY, OCT. 18TH. A Ministry of Health. Answering Mr. DILLON, Mr. BONAR LAW (Chancellor of the Exchequer) said : The proposal of a Ministry of Health is under careful consideration. At present the various difficulties needing to be provided for in the establishment of such a Ministry have not reached any widely agreed solu- tion, and as long as this-is so it is not possible to undertake to introduce a Bill for the purpose. Steps, however, are being taken which will, it is hoped, secure substantial agree- ment amongst those who are actively engaged in the work of national health. Mr. DILLON : If substantial agreement cannot be arrived at before the end of the session, will the right honourable gentleman give the House the opportunity of discussing this most important subject ?-Mr. BONAR LAW: Perhaps the honourable Member will put down a question towards the end of the session and I shall be glad to answer it. Soldiers Suffering frol1L Lung Trouble. Major HUNT asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that British and Irish troops suffering from lung trouble were not at present allowed to settle in the Dominions, and that there were considerable numbers of these troops suffering from lung trouble caused by service during the war and from gas attacks, and in view of the fact that the Ministry of Pensions had stated their inability to do anything to enable these men to go to and reside in a dry climate, as declared to be necessary by medical officers to prevent the development of tuberculosis, he could say whether the Government would apply to the Dominion governments for areas of land in their countries to be set apart for the purpose of settling these men in a dry climate and so saving their lives for the Empire.-Mr. BoNAR LAW answered : The points suggested in my honourable friend’s question are being considered. , Surgeon-General Sir W. Babtie. Mr. KING asked the Under Secretary for War whether he could state the present position of those officers censured in the report of the Mesopotamia Commission; and what action the Army Council proposed to take.-Mr. MACPHERSON wrote in reply : I am afraid that I cannot add much to the answer which I gave to my honourable friend’s question on this subject in August last. Surgeon-General Sir W. Babtie has submitted his explanation, the Army Council has found it satisfactory, and Surgeon-General Babtie has been recalled from leave and has resumed his official duties. The Council still awaits the explanations of the other officers concerned. Medical Officers of the Territorial Force. Colonel GRETTON asked the Under Secretary for War whether he was aware that a number of medical men joined the Territorial Forces as medical officers a la suite with the rank of captain, and that an undertaking was given that such officers should be promoted to the rank of major after eight and a half years’ service ; whether he was aware that this term expired in the case of a number of medical officers d la suite in June last and that no promotions had taken place ; and whether it was intended to carry out the under- taking which was given at the time these officers joined the service.-Mr. MACPHERSON (in a written answer) replied: The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. Officers appointed to the a la suite staffs of general hospitals serve under different conditions to other officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps, and promotion is not based on any qualifying time period. 1YIedical Service of the Expeditionary Force. Colonel GRETTON asked the Under Secretary for War whether the Commission recently sent to examine into’the medical service of the Expeditionary Force had yet reported; if not, when the report might be expected; and whether it would be laid upon the table of the House.-Mr. MACPHERSON wrote in reply : No report has been received, nor can I say when one will be in possession of the Army Council. I am
