§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Council whether the General Medical Council has any legal power conferred upon it by Parliament to declare those medical men who hold office under Friendly Societies Medical Aid Association guilty of infamous professional conduct; and whether, if this be so, and the General Medical Council does make this declaration, he will take steps to amend the law?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. A. H. D. ACLAND,) York, W.R., RotherhamThe General Medical Council have power under the Medical Acts of 1858 and 1886 to strike off the register the name of any registered medical practitioner whom they judge, after due inquiry, to have been guilty of infamous conduct in any professional respect. The Council inform me that they have appointed a Committee of their own Body to inquire into various allegations made on the subject of what are called Medical Aid Associations, and expect to receive the Committee's Report in May. Until this Report has been received and considered the Council decline to express any opinion as to the conduct of medical men in relation to these Associations. It would, therefore, be premature to enter into the question 1867 whether any amending legislation may or may not, under certain circumstances, be required.