§ 43. Mr. COMYNS-CARRasked the Prime Minister whether he has now come to a decision as to the promised inquiry into the questions of lunacy law and administration raised by the case of Harnett v. Bond; and whether he can now give an undertaking that the inquiry will not be held up pending the determination of possible appeals in that case to the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords?
§ 44. Mr. COSTELLOasked the Prime Minister whether, when setting up the proposed body to inquire into the present lunacy laws and their administration, he will bear in mind the desirability of making the terms of reference to such body sufficiently wide to include an investigation into the internal administration and management of public and private institutions for the detention of lunatics, with special regard to their treatment and the conditions under which they receive visitors and correspondence; and whether he will instruct such body to inquire into and report upon the feasibility of establishing hospitals to 1905 which doubtful cases may go for treatment, without unnecessarily incurring for themselves and their families the stigma of insanity?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAn application has been made to the Court of Appeal for an early hearing of this case and the Court of Appeal have intimated their willingness to afford as early a hearing as possible. The application was made to prevent the possibility of embarrassment to any Committee that may be appointed, by reason of the Harnett case being still sub judice. In these circumstances, it is not possible for me, at this moment, to give any undertaking such as is suggested, but the suggestions of the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Costello) regarding the terms of reference will be borne in mind. Meantime the preliminaries to setting up the Commission are being proceeded with.