§ 6. Captain GARRO-JONESasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Private Albert Skinner, No. 3950112, the Welch Regiment, was discharged, totally blind, from the Army in January, 1926; that the cause of the blindness has not been definitely diagnosed, but that it followed typhoid fever contracted on His Majesty's service in India; that a surgeon of the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital considers the blindness to be attributable to or aggravated by service abroad; that this soldier has made serious complaints of his treatment in hospital in India, and 5 that his family was not informed of his blindness until his brother called at the hospital at Southampton; that Private Skinner is receiving no pension or treatment; that institutions for the training of the blind have refused to assist him; and whether, in view of the hardship in this case, he will reconsider the possibility of granting a further medical board, or a pension, or training in another occupation for this soldier?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Sir Laming Worthington-Evans)The hon. and gallant Member has already communicated with me in writing about this ex-soldier's case, and I have nothing to add to the answer which I sent to the hon. and gallant Member on 28th May, 1927.
§ Captain GARRO-JONESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the questions I put here are different from those I addressed to him in writing, and that since he replied to me this ex-soldier has been discharged from the institution that was training him, and in those circumstances will he take any further action?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI wish I could, but there is no useful action that I can take. I do not think this question raises anything that was not dealt with in the letter. It was a three-page letter, and I went very carefully into the case.