§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the number of children born during the past ten years to all married males and married females certified as insane or feeble-minded and now resident in homes or asylums of England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland (separately); and the latest date to which this Return was compiled?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLUnder the existing law no persons can be certified as feeble-minded. That is a matter with which I hope to deal in the Bill I propose to introduce on this subject. As regards persons certified to be insane, I find there are no returns of the number of their children, and I am advised that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain statistics of any value, and that the cost of collection would he very great. Statements made by the patients themselves would necessarily be unreliable; and each case would have to be made the subject of inquiry and correspondence.
§ Mr. HOUSTONI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his answer. Is he aware of the decadent tendency of the nation 40 due to the diminishing birth-rate in regard to the children born of healthy, honest and industrious parents, and the increasing birth-rate in the case of feeble-minded parents?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is really not a supplementary question. The hon. Member has got it all written out.
§ Mr. HOUSTONMay I communicate with the right hon. Gentleman on this point?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am very much in agreement with the hon. Member.
§ Mr. HOUSTONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the United States of America some of the States have already introduced legislation adopting the scientific methods of Dr. Rentoul of Liverpool, and in connection with this subject will he kindly look into these matters?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am afraid I cannot discuss this question at Question time.
§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the desirability of obtaining statistics as to the number of children born to unmarried feeble-minded women, and as to the number of children born to parents who have been imprisoned for a longer period than fourteen days, or to parents who are or have been certified at any time as feeble-minded?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThere are at present no complete or trustworthy statistics as to the number of children born to mentally defective parents, but some statistics which the Royal Commission on the Feeble-minded obtained will be found in their published Report and Appendices. The Bill which is being prepared to carry out the recommendations of the Royal Commission will, I hope, enable proper statistics to be obtained in the future. It would not be possible to obtain statistics as to the number of children born to parents who have been imprisoned for a longer period than fourteen days.
§ Mr. HOUSTONWill the right hon. Gentleman endeavour to get the information?