HC Deb 13 June 1884 vol 289 cc240-1
MR. STANLEY LEIGHTON

asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether Dr. Crichton Browne, one of Her Majesty's Commissioners in Lunacy, was invited by him to visit some of the elementary schools in London, in company with one of Her Majesty's Inspectors, and to report on the work of elementary schools from a sanitary point of view, with the object of ascertaining the foundations of the allegations of over pressure; whether that report has now been some weeks in his possession; whether he has invited several Members of Parliament to read the report at his office; whether the report, amongst other things, declares Dr. Crichton Browne's opinions to be—That over pressure exists; that the system of payment by proximate and partial results is one of the causes of over pressure; that the number of suicides of children under sixteen is annually swelling; that mortality from nervous diseases is steadily increasing; that one-third of the children in elementary schools in London suffer from habitual headache; that short-sightedness amongst school children is rapidly increasing, and threatens to become a national infirmity; and, whether, considering the gravity which attaches to a report by a public officer, holding the position of one of Her Majesty's Commissioners in Lunacy, and the impossibility of adequately discussing the Education Estimates without reference to such report, he will place it in the Library for the inspection of Members?

MR. MUNDELLA

Dr. Crichton Browne is not a Commissioner in Lunacy, but a Visitor under the Court of Chancery. The document which he has addressed to me, in the form of a letter, is a voluminous essay on a great number of disputable questions relating not only to education, but to medicine, lunacy, ethics, and social and vital statistics. It is in no respect an official document; but out of respect for Dr. Browne I have promised to give a résumé of it in the Reports which will shortly be laid before this House. Until this is done I must refrain from offering any opinion as to its contents. It has no bearing on the Estimates any more than numerous other communications which I have received on the same subject.

MR. STANLEY LEIGHTON

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman had any other Reports in his Office from Inspectors or others which confirmed the opinion of Dr. Crichton Browne that overpressure existed in elementary schools?

MR. MUNDELLA

said, that the general Reports which he had would be shortly laid on the Table of the House. They were all in contradiction of Dr. Crichton Browne's conclusions.

MR. RAIKES

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman still proposed to bring forward the Education Estimates on Monday in the absence of this important and material information?

MR. MUNDELLA

said, it had nothing whatever to do with the Education Estimates.