§ 31. Mr. SHINWELLasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of 2328 Health under whose instructions Mr. George Ramage, of Bo'ness, was sent to an asylum; and whether, seeing that this man was only detained a few weeks and that he was not insane, but merely suffering from the effects of insomnia, and that Mr. Ramage has suffered financially since his release owing to the difficulty of obtaining employment because of the stigma arising from his detention, he will cause further inquiries to be made?
§ Captain ELLIOTMr. Ramage was removed to an asylum at the instance of the inspector of poor under the provisions of the Lunacy Acts, and his subsequent detention was duly authorised by order of the Sheriff. The procedure throughout appears to have been regular. I should be glad to go into the matter further with my hon. Friend, but I think he will agree that it is inadvisbale, if it can be avoided, to discuss medical cases on the Floor of the House.
§ Mr. SHINWELLAm I to understand from that answer that the hon. and gallant Gentleman is prepared to go into the allegations made by this man and into the question of compensation for wrongful detention in an asylum?
§ Captain ELLIOTI am prepared to go into the question of detention, but compensation is a different question and I can give no undertaking on the matter just now. It comes under certain legal conditions which cannot be dispensed with.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIn the event of it being proved that wrongful detention took place, will the hon. and gallant Gentleman consider the question of compensation?