§ Mr. WATTasked how many medical men have been appointed in Scotland under the Workmen's Compensation Acts to sit as assessors along with sheriffs and sheriffs-substitute in dealing with cases under these Acts; whether it is a condition of their appointments that they shall not act in similar cases as expert medical witnesses; and, if not, will the right hon. Gentleman make it a condition in future appointments?
§ Mr. McKENNAMy right hon. Friend the Secretary for Scotland has asked me to reply to this question. There are eighty-four medical referees appointed under the Workmen's Compensation Act for Scotland, and in 1910 they sat as assessors on 192 occasions. The Act prohibits a referee from acting in any case in which he has been employed as medical practitioner; and the Home Office Regulations forbid medical referees, as a general rule, acting privately in any case in which the workman is receiving a weekly payment for compensation or which is otherwise likely to come before a referee in the 1272 district for which he acts. I believe that these instructions are usually observed. It has not been found practicable to impose any further restriction on the medical referees.