§ 73. Mr. SNOWDENasked the Minister of National Service if he will state the nature of the inquiries he made into the method of medical examination by the medical recruiting board at Blackburn; will he say if he confined his inquiries to the medical board itself; will he, in view of the inaccuracy of the report which has been furnished to him, have independent inquiry made into the following cases, names and addresses of which have been privately furnished to him, namely: the case of a man who took with him a medical certificate from the superintendent of the Grange Sanatorium and also a certificate from the borough health officer, stating he was registered as a tuberculosis patient, and produced medical evidence that he had lost a brother and sister by the same complaint, and had another sister in the sanatorium at that time, and yet was passed Grade I; the case of a man of forty-three years of age, always an invalid, who produced medical testimony that he had a very weak heart, also suffered from varicocele, was badly nourished, weighed only 100 lbs., and was passed by the Blackburn Medical Board Grade 1; the case of a man who, five years ago, had been superannuated from the Civil Service on account of physical unfitness, and who since has been unable to do any work, and who, after a perfunctory examination, was refused an opportunity to explain 304 his circumstances, and was passed Grade 2; the case of a man who had been examined three times previously and deferred as unfit, who has suffered for nine years from gastritis, and for the last fourteen months has been under constant medical treatment and under strict dietary, but was passed, without a proper examination, Grade 1; the case of a man producing medical certificates that he has suffered from double inguinal hernia, very serious, produced evidence of an unsound condition of his system, examination of his lungs revealing a hollowness on the left side, confirmed by X-rays examination, with abscess discharge from lung, passed Grade 2; the case of a man, aged forty-four, weighing 7 stone 7 lbs., height 5 ft. 1½ ins., suffering from double rupture, bleeding piles, and who, seven years ago, had a serious operation on his head and part of an artery removed, and who is subject to frequent dizziness, passed Grade 1; and the case of a youth, aged eighteen, who had only worked for six months in his life owing to ill-health, and for the last twelve months has been constantly under the doctor, and was under medical treatment at the time he was called up and passed into the Army in Grade 2; and if he will suspend the officials of the Blackburn Medical Board until the result of his inquiry is known?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI am obliged to the hon. Member for sending me the cases referred to, and full inquiries are being made into them.
§ Mr. SNOWDENWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the first part of the question and state the nature of the inquiries which were made?
§ Sir A. GEDDESInquiries are being made. The actual cases which the hon. Member sent me reached me this morning, and what I am doing to inquire into the working of the Medical Board at Blackburn is to take these cases and have them fully investigated.