§ No. 38. The following question stood on the Paper in the name of Mr. PETO:
§ 38. To ask the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of men who passed through Army hospitals suffering from venereal disease in the' year 1917; whether he can state the number of men on the sick list in France and in this country at any one day in the four quarters of the year 1917; and whether the Army Council intend to substitute for the War Office letter dated 18th March, 1916, instructions to medical officers to use every measure to prevent this waste of manpower in the Army?
§ Mr. PETOI have been asked to postpone this question, but before doing so I should like to ask, in view of the 2081 urgency of this matter: firstly, is it true that there are between 40,000 and 50,000 men always in our hospitals from this cause; and, secondly, can the hon. Gentleman give me the actual figures between now and the beginning of next Session?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONNo, I cannot; I cannot trust my memory at the present moment.. I have promised to give my hon. Friend such information as I can get officially as soon as I can.