§ MR. JACKS (Stirlingshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he has received a Memorial from the Senate of the University of Glasgow concurring with a joint Memorial presented to him by the three Scottish Corporations who confer licences to practise medicines, surgery, and midwifery, in respect of the action of the War Department confining the selection of medical and surgical examiners for the competitive examinations for admission to Her Majesty's Army Medical Service solely to the past and present Examiners of the London Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons; and if, having regard to the dissatisfaction and irritation aroused by such a course, the War Office can see their way to reconsider their decision?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANYes, Sir; such a Memorial has been received, and an answer has been sent to the effect that there is no intention whatever of conferring upon any Medical Corporation such a monopoly as that alluded to. The Examiners have, in the present instance, been selected from the Examiners to the Royal Colleges in London; but it is quite open to the Secretary of State to replace some of them as vacancies occur by members from the Examining Bodies in Scotland and Ireland.
§ DR. MACGREGOR (Inverness-shire)Cannot the present arrangement be terminated at the end of one year? Has my right hon. Friend contemplated such a misfortune as his not being in power four years hence?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI can contemplate such a misfortune with perfect equanimity. The present appointments have been made for four years, and cannot be interfered with.