HC Deb 26 February 1903 vol 118 cc930-1
*MR. WEIR

I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether the Secretary for Scotland is aware that some school boards in the Highland crofting counties insist on prescribing the precise form in which a medical officer shall make out his certificate, notwithstanding the fact that no such powers are conferred on school boards by Act of Parliament; and seeing that two crofters in the Western Highlands were recently prosecuted and fined for not sending their children to school, the medical certificates with which they had provided themselves not being accepted by the Chairman of the School Board on the ground that the medical officer did not subscribe the words "on soul and conscience'' after his signature, will he consider the expediency of issuing a circular to school managers on the subject.

*MR. SCOTT-DICKSON

The hon. Member has already been in communication with the Department on this subject. The rejection of the certificate was by the sheriff, and the hon. Member has been informed that it does not fall within the province of the Department to review the decision of a court of law. The suggestion contained in the latter part of the hon. Member's question as to the reason for the said rejection is not, according to information given to the Department, accurate. It is not proposed to issue any circular on the subject.

MR. WEIR

Is it usual for medical officers to subscribe the words "on soul and conscience" after their signature?

*MR. SCOTT-DICKSON

Yes, it is usual to do so when the certificate is required for production in a court of law.