§ MR. CHIOZZA MONEY (Paddington, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state how many lunatics have escaped from the lunatic asylums of Epsom during the twelve months ended 30th September, 1908; how many of these escaped when being exercised in the public highways; how many of the escaped lunatics have been recaptured; and whether he is taking any steps to protect the public from lunatics wandering at large.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELMy right hon. friend is informed that twenty-nine 778 patients in all escaped, two of them twice, from the three asylums in the nighbour-hood of Epsom, and from the Ewell Epileptic Colony, during the twelve months ended 30th September last. Two of these escaped from walking parties outside the asylum grounds. Seven of the twenty-nine are still at large, but one of them was about to be discharged, and only anticipated his release by a short time. My right hon. friend is in communication with the Commissioners in Lunacy on the general question of lunatics escaping from asylums, and of their being exercised outside the asylum grounds, and also with the London Asylums Committee as regards the particular institutions which my hon. friend has in view. The great majority of the escapes are lunatics of a perfectly harmless type, but clearly every care should be taken to prevent escape, and after escape, to secure recapture.