MR. CATHCART WASONTo ask the Secretary for Scotland if his attention has been drawn to the dismissal of the parish doctor by the parish council of Durness, Sutherlandshire, and to the fact that the doctor entered an action in the Court of Session, with the result that he was reinstated in his office and the parish involved in legal expenses amounting to over £200; that protests were lodged with the council against the doctor's dismissal by a majority of the ratepayers; and, if so, will he consider the advisability of taking steps to protect medical officers in crofting counties against such treatment, and to save the ratepayers from being burdened with legal expenses in similar cases in the future; and whether, seeing that this parish council disqualified two elected members of the council who were said to be friendly to the doctor, and replaced them by two others, one of whom was as similarly disqualified as the ejected members, steps will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such action.
(Answered by Mr. A. Graham Murray.) I am informed that the Local Government Board for Scotland are aware that the medical officer of Durness was recently dismissed by his parish council, and that he entered an action in the Court of Session, with the result that he was reinstated in his office, and expenses adjudged against the parish council. But the medical officer is the servant of the parish council and not of the Board, and legislation would be required to make him removeable from office only by the Board. As regards the latter part of the Question, I have no reason to anticipate the recurrence of 259 such action on the part of a parish council, and am not prepared to take any steps in the matter.