HC Deb 14 November 1918 vol 110 cc2879-80

The following question stood on the Paper in the name of Major CHAPPLE:

94. To ask the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the service in the wards of the London Hospital included any period of service by the nurse during which she was working as a private nurse; and whether he has had any report from any matron to the effect that nurses so treated are less qualified for Army service than nurses trained in other hospitals?

Major CHAPPLE

May I ask, Mr. Speaker, why these words have been omitted from my question, "taken from her training in the wards and sent out," and these words have been deleted also, "at 13s. 5d. to herself and £2 12s. 6d. to the London Hospital"? May I suggest to you, Sir, that the words of my question have no meaning whatever with these words deleted? What I want to know is if these nurses who are taken from their training in the wards at the end of the second year, and sent out to private nursing at 13s. 5d. to themselves and £2 12s. 6d. to the London Hospital—has any report come from any matron that nurses who get two years' training and two years' farming are as good as nurses trained in other hospitals?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member must put the question on the Paper. He has repeatedly attempted to raise the points he has now put, and I have always struck them out on the ground that the War Office is not responsible for the management of the London Hospital, and is in no way answerable. The hon. Member will ask the question on the Paper.

Major CHAPPLE

The question I ask is whether nurses trained in these circumstances are as qualified as those in other circumstances. Surely that is a proper thing to ask the Under-Secretary for War, who has jurisdiction over these appointments?

Mr. SPEAKER

The right hon. Gentleman has no jurisdiction over the arrangements between the governors of the London Hospital and their staffs.

Mr. MACPHERSON

I can add nothing to the several replies which I have already given—nine in number—to questions on this subject by my hon. and gallant Friend.

Major CHAPPLE

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that he has evaded on each of these nine occasions the question I have asked, and that either he is deceived by his Department or is deceiving the House?

Mr. SPEAKER

I said the hon. Member on several occasions has attempted to obtain information from a Department which is not responsible in any way, and cannot give the information. He has tried to evade my ruling.