§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON (Durham, Barnard Castle)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the fact that at Bradford a coroner and jury are under observation because they were compelled to view the body of a man who, in the opinion of the medical officer, had been suffering from malignant smallpox; whether, in view of the practice of viewing bodies in such cases becoming a possible danger to the community, he will consider the advisability of again introducing the Bill which in 1879 passed its Second Reading under the care of the then Home Secretary, the object of which was to make the viewing of bodies by coroners and juries no longer compulsory
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS-DOUGLAS, Kent, St. Augustine's)My attention has not been called to the case mentioned by the hon. Member. With regard to the general question of the obligation of coroners and coroners' juries to view bodies, I fear that I cannot add anything to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydvil on March 23rd‡.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the opinion of the majority of coroners is against the practice of viewing bodies?
§ *MR. AKERS-DOUGLASI have no doubt it is in a great many cases, but I am not inclined as at present advised to introduce a Bill on the subject.