§ 49. Mr. BARNESasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. E. Tookey, 57, Priolo Road, Charlton, Kent, who made a statutory declaration of conscientious objection on 24th May, 1912, to the vaccination of a child that had been born on 28th January, 1912, her husband being for eleven months after the latter date at work in various distant parts of the world as a marine engineer; whether he is aware that the vaccination officer refused to register the declaration and that he is now threatening to institute proceedings; and whether he can see his way to advise the vaccination officer that a prosecution should not be set up under such circumstances, seeing that the father was unable to make the declaration and that the mother was the person having the custody of the child?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)My attention has been called to the case, and I have communicated with the vaccination officer and informed him that, in my opinion, the case is not one in which proceedings should be taken.