§ 36. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Board of Admiralty made an arrangement during peace time with six members of the Royal College of Surgeons under which these gentlemen are each drawing £5,000 per annum, as well as a number of others, though the circumstances of the War have not up to now interfered with their private practice; and whether this total expenditure of £40,000 per annum was reviewed by the Treasury before it was sanctioned?
§ Mr. ACLANDI understand that these appointments were made in the first instance under a general authority given by the Treasury in 1908 for the appointment in the event of the outbreak of war of consulting surgeons for hospital ships at a remuneration not then specified. On the 14th August the Treasury were informed of the appointments and also that for administrative reasons five distinguished surgeons and one physician (with remuneration at the rate of £5,000 a year each) were being employed at the Royal Naval Hospitals instead of being sent out on hospital ships. Upon representations from the Admiralty that it was essential 1101 that the services of these specialists should be available at the respective hospitals for the performance of operations at a moment's notice, the Treasury sanctioned the arrangements which had been made. The total number of appointments at £5,000 a year is six, not eight as stated in the question. As regards the conditions of employment, I am informed by the Admiralty that five of the six reside at and are performing daily duties in the Naval Hospitals at Haslar, Plymouth, and Chatham, and the sixth has to visit and perform surgical work in all the Naval and Auxiliary hospitals in Scotland. In addition, the five who are resident at the English hospitals visit for consulting purposes other hospitals in which naval sick and wounded are being treated. It is only in any casual spare time that private practice can be followed.
§ Commander BELLAIRSDid the amounts of £5,000 a year ever come before the Treasury before the War broke out, the arrangement having been sanctioned in 1908?
§ Mr. ACLANDNo, Sir, the salary was not submitted to the Treasury until the appointments were made. The Treasury gave general approval for the engagement of distinguished surgeons to look after sailors and other naval ratings who might be in needs of their help; and the scheme for doing this was proposed to the Treasury and sanctioned in principle in 1908, but the amounts intended to be paid were not at that time fixed.
§ Commander BELLAIRSIn view of the fact that no similar arrangement was made by the War Office, and the fact that the Navy has not one-hundreth part of the casualties or the problems arising from casualties which the Army has, will the Treasury take that fact into consideration and terminate this arrangement?
§ Mr. ACLANDNo, Sir, the Treasury will not terminate the arrangement. It is surely of the utmost importance that our wounded men should have at their disposal the services of these extremely distinguished persons, and I cannot see my way to terminate this arrangement.
§ Commander BELLAIRSWill the hon. Member take into consideration the fact that very distinguished surgeons and medical men are now serving in the Army upon the pay of an ordinary colonel, and does he not see how undesirable it is that these comparisons should be drawn?
§ 2. Commander BELLAIRSasked the date of the arrangement by which eight consultants belonging to the Royal College of Surgeons are paid £5,000 a year in addition to the earnings of their private practices?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI think the hon. Gentleman will see that this question has been replied to in the answer to another question on the Paper.
§ Commander BELLAIRSI should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, in view of the fact we have so few casualties in the Navy that have not been dealt with by the regular surgeons of the Navy, he will consent to transfer the services of these gentlemen to the War Office?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThat is covered by the answer I have referred to.
§ Commander BELLAIRSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are two gentlemen at the Admiralty—Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons—who are doing nothing but clerical work? Will he consent to give a Return of the number of operations performed by these gentlemen and of the number performed by surgeons at the regular hospitals?
§ Commander BELLAIRSI will put the question down.