DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeen, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it will be practicable for the Commissioners in Lunacy to append to future issues of their Reports a table showing the causes of death of all lunatics dying in all lunatic asylums, public and private, in registered lunatic hospitals, and in workhouses in England and Wales?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I am informed by the Lunacy Commissioners that no Returns are made to them as to deaths of lunatics in workhouses, and they have no power to call for them. They 1476 have considered, and will again consider, whether they can, and how soon, insert tables showing the causes of death in lunatic asylums, registered hospitals, and licensed houses; but this would involve much additional clerical work, and the existing staff is already hard pressed owing to the great increase of work cast upon it by the operation of the Lunacy Act, 1890.