HC Deb 22 August 1889 vol 340 cc111-2
MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether he is aware of any bonâ fide attempt made in any of the Cantonments or elsewhere in India to carry out the recommendation of the Army Sanitary Commission, which, while condemning the system for regulating prostitution as wholly unsuccessful, suggested as the proper way of dealing with venereal disease— The establishment of a properly organised system of hospital and dispensary relief for the use of all classes, and strictly voluntary in its character; and, if so, whether, he will lay upon the Table of the House any Returns or information in respect of such attempt.

SIR J. GORST

The recommendation of the Army Sanitary Commission was commended to the Government of India in 1882, but rather with reference to the large towns than to Cantonments; but the Secretary of State is not aware that any system of hospital or dispensary relief for the use of all classes has ever been established for the purpose of dealing with venereal disease exclusively.

MR. J. STUART

Has the hon. Gentleman called the attention of Surgeon Major Barclay, and other com- pilers of Indian statistics in respect of venereal diseases, to the errors in their method of calculating averages which have vitiated their results hitherto; and, if so, what reply has been made by or on behalf of these gentlemen?

SIR J. GORST

The attention of the Government of India was, as I stated more than a year ago, called to the arithmetical error, pointed out by the hon. Member, and the justice of the criticism of the hon. Member does not seem to be disputed.

MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCK (Whitehaven)

I beg to ask the hon. Gentleman whether it is the fact that, at the last meeting of the Legislative Council at Simla, on the presentation of a Report on the Cantonment Bill, the Commander in Chief stated— That the Returns of the Surgeon General showed that the number of venereal cases in the Army had actually doubled, and were of a much more virulent type. Whether the Viceroy said— If any room had existed for doubt as to the gravity of the case which confronted the Government, the statement of the Commander in Chief dispelled that doubt, and that he hoped public opinion would support the Government in its endeavours to reduce the evil as much as possible; And, whether Her Majesty's Government, under the circumstances, intend to take any, and what, action in the matter?

SIR J. GORST

The Secretary of State has no reason to doubt that the Reports of the Proceedings of the Legislative Council at Simla are correct. The Cantonment Bill contains provisions for enabling the Government of India to deal with all contagious diseases within Cantonments, and regulations for that purpose will be made by the Government of India as soon as the Bill becomes law.