§ MR. HENRY J. WILSON (York, W. E., Holmfirth)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been directed to the following statement in The Pall Mall Gazette of 27th January, 1887:—
The C. D. Acts are in full force in the most shameless way in Egypt, wherever our troops are stationed. The women in Cairo are examined twice a week by surgeons, and, if any are found to be diseased, the house in which they reside are marked with the English Broad Arrow, to deter 'Tommy Atkins' from patronizing those establishments. Not only so, but when I was there an English sergeant was stationed on picket duty as a kind of official guide to the houses of ill-fame which Her Majesty's soldiers were encouraged to patronize. That is, he was a guide of the negative kind, and stood on guard to prevent the soldiers from going into the houses where the women were certified as diseased;whether this statement is accurate; and, what steps will be taken in the matter?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)My attention has been called to this matter only by the Question of the 394 hon. Member, and we have no information at the War Office concerning it. I will ask the General Officer commanding in Egypt to report to me upon the subject.