§ MR. WADDYasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, If the Government has any information from the Medical Council of the success of attempts on the part of the medical examining bodies in the three divisions of the kingdom to form conjoint boards for giving diplomas that shall constitute a complete qualification in all branches of the medical art; and, if the Government, in the event of its not receiving or of not having yet received satisfactory information, is likely to bring in a Bill, or otherwise initiate legislation, with a view to remedy the present system of half-qualifications by nineteen competing bodies?
§ VISCOUNT SANDONSir, we have no official information from the Medical Council on the subject of the hon. Gentleman's Question; but I have reason to believe that attempts are still being made to form conjoint Boards for giving diplomas that shall constitute a complete qualification in all branches of medical art. How far these attempts may be successful we cannot yet say; but I may point to the Society of Apothecaries Act of last Session, and to the Bill respecting the College of Surgeons now before the House, as proofs that the matter is not being left alone by the medical bodies. The attention of Government has only quite recently been called to this subject, which is a very large and complicated one. I am not prepared, therefore, at present to state the views of Her Majesty's Government respecting further legislation.