§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Cork County, N.E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he can now state the precise disqualifications of the candidates who applied for the post of medical officer to the post office at Fermoy in June last; and if the medical gentlemen who so applied accepted the conditions of appointment required by the Postmaster General, namely, to give attendance and medicine to all the employees residing within a three-mile radius (except the postmaster), the authorised remuneration being a capitation allowance at the rate of 8s. 6d. per 274 annum for each officer on the list; whether some of the officials have been receiving medical aid for years under the Medical Charities Acts, to which aid they were not entitled; and will he cause further inquiries to be made into all the circumstances, and appoint a medical officer to Fermoy post office.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIt is not, in the Postmaster General's opinion, advisable to state the specific reasons which led him to believe that it was not desirable to appoint, as medical officer at Fermoy, either of the candidates who in the first instance applied for the post. Both of these candidates were willing to accept the appointment under the ordinary conditions. A suitable candidate has now offered himself, and will be appointed. The Postmaster General is not aware that any post office servants at Fermoy have received, under the Medical Charities Act, aid to which they were not entitled.
§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAMIs it not a matter of fact that during thirteen years the post office employees at Fermoy have been receiving medical aid from one of the gentlemen who has applied for the position of medical officer to the post office?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIt must be obvious to the hon. Member that I cannot answer that question without notice.