§ 40 and 41. Lieut.-Colonel RAWasked the Home Secretary (1) what is the number of married persons certified as insane in England and Wales and the average number of cases which recover annually after five years' confinement; whether the 1122 Government will introduce legislation to enable sane parties to obtain divorce in cases of insanity declared incurable after such period of confinement;
(2) what is the number of married persons annually committed by Courts to inebriate reformatories and the percentage of such cases that recover after three years' confinement; and whether the Government will introduce legislation to enable the innocent spouse to obtain divorce in cases of inebriety declared incurable?
§ Major BAIRDMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has made inquiry, and finds that there are no recent figures available. It is very difficult to say when au insane person or an inebriate is cured, and it would be almost impossible to collect statistics on the lines suggested in the questions. The Royal Commission on Divorce, in the Report which they issued in 1912, discussed fully the question of incurable insanity and inebriety in relation to divorce, and gave such figures as could be obtained. Until there is some measure of agreement on this very controversial question, legislation is difficult, and I fear that I can add nothing to the reply given by the Leader of the House on 8th August last.
§ 42. Mr. BRIANTasked the Home Secretary if he can give the number of persons who, on the grounds of adultery, cruelty, or desertion, have been separated according to the Matrimonial Causes Act, 1857, under the provisions of the Summary Jurisdiction (Married Women) Act, 1895, and other Acts, and whether the Government will introduce legislation to enable these parties to be divorced and to remarry; and the number of persons whose married life is terminated annually by private deeds of separation; and whether, as such deeds may preclude the innocent party from obtaining divorce on the grounds allowed by the Act of 1857 and thus licenses the profligacy of the guilty, the Government proposes to take any steps to remedy the matter?
§ Major BAIRDThe number of decrees for judicial separation made under the Matrimonial Causes Act, 1857, upon the grounds specified was 37 in 1918. The last available figures of separation orders made under the Summary Jurisdiction (Married Women) Act, 1895, and other Acts are those for 1913. In that year 5,173 such orders were granted. No figures of private deeds of separation are available. In 1123 reply to the rest of the question, I can only remind the hon. Member that the Lord Privy Seal on the 6th August stated that the Government could not promote legislation on this subject.
§ Mr. RENDALLIf there were 5,000 persons separated by law every year during the last fifteen years, are there not over 50,000 persons separated by law and not allowed to marry—is that so?
§ Major BAIRDI do not know that that inference can be drawn, and I am not willing to take figures without going into the question.
§ 43. Mr. BRIANTasked the Home Secretary whether there are any statistics showing the average number of cases of persistent assault of a husband upon a wife; and whether the Government will introduce legislation granting divorce on grounds of persistent cruelty which rendered married life no longer safe?
§ Major BAIRDThe answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.