§ SIR J. JARDINEI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that in the last report of the medical superintendent of the district asylum at Melrose, for the border 173 counties of Roxburgh, Berwick, and Selkirk, complaint is made that difficulties are found in procuring persons properly qualified to take care of the insane, and attention is directed to the number of changes that take place on the asylum staff because the warders and other employees have no prospect of receiving annuities when they retire incapacitated by their exacting duties; and, whether, seeing that similar complaints have often been made by the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland, he can see his way to undertaking legislation to confer the same sort of statutory power to award superannuation allowances as exists in the case of English county and borough asylums, Irish district asylums, and the Scottish royal asylums.
§ MR. SINCLAIRMy attention has been drawn to the matter referred to by my hon. friend and the legislation he suggests shall be considered, but I am unable to give any definite undertaking.