HC Deb 30 July 1923 vol 167 cc1021-2
44. Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSON

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the issue of Circular No. 424, dated 23rd July, to boards of guardians, a statutory declaration of conscientious objection to vaccination in the form set out in the Schedule to the Vaccination Act, 1907, will be accepted by vaccination officers in place of the new form to be issued by the Ministry?

The MINISTER of HEALTH (Mr. Neville Chamberlain)

The form of statutory declaration of conscientious objection to vaccination which will be issued by my Department to vaccination officers will be the form set out in the Schedule to the Vaccination Act, 1907. The Act provides that these statutory declarations must be made in that form or in a form to the like effect.

Mr. THOMSON

Do I understand that the existing form in the Schedule of the Vaccination Act, 1907, will not be accepted in future? Will it be illegal for conscientious objectors to put in the form shown in the Schedule of the Act of 1907?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

No.

Mr. LANSBURY

What is the authority for that? Does the Act give the right hon. Gentleman power to say that a person must go to a certain place to get a form? Does not the Act say merely that the statutory declaration must be made in proper form?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

Yes, but I have not said that a person must go to the vaccination officer to get it.

Mr. LANSBURY

I would ask the right hon. Gentleman to look at the answer he gave about a week ago.

63. The hon. Member asked the Minister whether he will explain why he has issued an Order requiring a person making a statutory declaration of conscientious objection to vaccination to make such declaration only on a form supplied by the vaccination officer, in view of the provision in the Vaccination Act, 1907, Section 3, permitting the use of the form set out in the Schedule to the Act or a form to the like effect?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

The hon. Member appears to be under some misapprehension. The Vaccination Order recently issued states that these declarations must be made in a form which may be obtained from the vaccination officer or in a form to the like effect. The form issued to vaccination officers will be the form set out in the Schedule to the Vaccination Act, 1907.

Mr. LANSBURY

Am I to take it that the right hon. Gentleman's Order does not mean that a person who wishes to make a conscientious objection must apply to the vaccination officer for the form?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

Certainly.