§ 76. Mr. NOEL BUXTONasked the Home Secretary whether the cases of industrial poisoning which appear under the head of diseases of occupation in the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette" include only those furnished by the certifying surgeons; whether there are a certain number of cases in which the medical referee overrides the decision of the certifying surgeon; whether a corrected list would show a difference in the number of cases of industrial poisoning; whether the figures in the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette" are invalidated by the absence of any reference to the decisions of the medical referee; and whether the figures as modified by the medical referee's decision appear in any other Return?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Returns of industrial poisoning to which the question refers include all cases, whether reported by the certifying surgeons, by medical practitioners, or by occupiers. It occasionally happens that the certifying surgeon's opinion is subsequently overruled by the medical referee. So far as practicable, allowance has been made for these cases in the Annual Return published in the January number of the "Gazette," but the cases are so few as not to affect the substantial accuracy of the monthly Returns.