§ Mr. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)To ask the Secretary for Scotland if, when considering the Report of the Departmental Committee on Poor Law Medical Relief in Scotland, he will take into consideration the position of those medical officers situated in remote Highland and Island parishes who, owing to geographical difficulties, are unable to name substitutes to act for them during illness or holidays; and, in view of the fact that those public servants have had no holiday for a number of years, owing to the high fees charged by locum tenens, he will cause arrangements to be made whereby these medical officers may have a free annual rest, such as can be enjoyed by their colleagues in other districts, and all other parish officials.
(Answered by Mr. A. Graham Murray.) The revision of the rules for Poor Law Medical Relief in Scotland will be proceeded with as soon as legislative authority can be obtained, and due 258 consideration will be given to the difficulty experienced by medical officers of remote parishes in procuring substitutes; but without legislation no alteration can be made on the existing rules. The question of holidays for medical officers has received the careful and sympathetic attention of the Local Government Board, as will be seen from their 6th Annual Report, pages xxv.-vi., but they have at present no authority to do more than they have there indicated.