§ MR. BRUENasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether the Surgeons of Gaols in Ireland who were appointed by Boards of Superintendence, and who have performed the duties of their office before and since the 1st day of April 1878, are recognized by Her Majesty's Government as "Officers attached to Prisons" within the meaning of s. 27 of "The General Prisons (Ireland) Act, 1877;" whether surgeons not so appointed, but obliged as surgeons of infirmaries to perform medical duties in gaols, and who have performed them before and since the 1st day of April 1878, are so recognized; and, whether any salary will be paid to Prison Medical Officers for duties performed from the 1st day of April 1878 to the present 14 time; and, if so, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a scale of the salaries to be paid for the performance of these duties?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERMy answer to all my hon. Friend's inquiries is in the affirmative; and, in addition to the table of salaries, will lay upon the Table an explanatory document, which will make the matter clear.
§ MR. ERRINGTONasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether a Memorial was presented to the Irish Government from the Irish College of Physicians, protesting in the interests of the medical profession against the proposed amalgamation of the offices of surgeon and compounder in the Irish gaols; and, whether, in spite of this Memorial and of the strong feeling on the subject among the prison surgeons themselves, it is still intended to combine the two offices?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the Memorial referred to by the hon. Gentleman has been received. The intention, however, is not to make the amalgamation compulsory in the case of existing officers but only in the cases of fresh appointments.