§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON (Durham, Barnard Castle)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any case has been considered by the medical referees appointed under the Workmen's Compensation Act; and, if so, in what trade and with what result.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.The total number of cases considered by medical referees in the six months from the 1st July, 1907, the date on which the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906, came into force, up to the 31st December, 1907, after which date figures are not yet available, is 117. The mumbers in the respective branches of employment were as follows—
| Railways | 4 |
| Factories | 27 |
| Mines | 64 |
| Engineering | 2 |
| Building | 9 |
| Agriculture | 3 |
| Not stated | 8 |
§ I cannot give the results as the reports of the referees are not made to the Home-Office, but to County Court Judges and other persons; such information as is furnished to the Home Office being principally required for the proper payment of the fees. I should like to add that I do not think any trustworthy inference as to the working of the provisions of the new Act can be drawn from, the results of the first six months of its operation.
§ MR. WEDGWOOD (Newcastle-under-Lyme)Are steps being taken to secure that the medical referees appointed have not previously been interested in the cases as certifying surgeons or in any other manner?
§ MR. GLADSTONEYes, that is done.