§ 22. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Health whether, having regard to the fact that local authorities will be submitting, as part of their schemes under the Local Government Act, their proposed arrangements for the care of mentally defective persons, he will take steps to see that the guidance which the Report of the Joint Committee on Menal Deficiency will give to these local authorities shall be made available for them without further delay?
§ 23. Mr. MORRISasked the Minister of Health whether he will state his decision in regard to the publication of that part of the Report of the Special Committee on Mental Deficiency which relates to adult defectives?
§ 24. Mr. R. MORRISONasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the decision to publish the children's section, of the Report of the Mental Deficiency Committee; and, in view of the anxiety amongst those interested with regard to the section of the Report dealing with adults, will he state the reason for the postponement of the decision to publish?
§ 20. Miss WILKINSONasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that the sections of the Report of the Joint Committee on Mental Deficiency dealing with children are being published immediately and that the after care of the most helpless of these children must devolve on local authorities under the Mental Deficiency Acts, he will authorise the immediate publication of that section of the Report which deals with adults?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am not at present in a position to add anything to the previous replies in which I have indicated that I cannot give undertakings as to the publication of any part of this Report other than that which relates to children until I have had an opportunity of giving proper consideration to the matter. I am afraid that other preoccupations have prevented that opportunity from occurring.
§ Mr. MORRISONIn view of the fact that the Conference of Poor Law Associations in connection with this subject is to be held next week, will the right hon. Gentleman consider the publication of the Report, or, if not the Report, the recommendations of the Report?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINClearly, the re-commendations are a vital part of the Report. Until I have had an opportunity of considering this very long Report, I cannot add anything to the answer that I have given.
§ Mr. MORRISIn view of the fact that this Report was presented in January, cannot the right hon. Gentleman consider it?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have not had an opportunity of looking at it yet, and I want as long a time as may be necessary for studying it properly.
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEIs it not a fact that the local authorities have to 395 put part of this into force and to prepare schemes before September, and is it right that the right hon. Gentleman should leave them so little time in which to have this before them?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThere is a good deal of time between now and September, and I am not at all sure what effect on the liberty of the subject the Report may have.
§ Mr. MORRISONWill the right hon. Gentleman say definitely that the Report will be published?
§ Mr. MORRISONIn view of the fact that the President of the Board of Education has published the half of the Report relating to children, cannot the right hon. Gentleman see that it is essential that the full Report, which has been the work of many years, should be published?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Report is not one. There are two reports, one relating to children and one to adults. The question affecting the children is for the Board of Education; that relating to adults is a much bigger question.
Dr. VERNON DAVIESMay we take it for granted that my right hon. Friend will carefully study the Report before arriving at a decision as to the schemes submitted by local authorities?
§ Mr. MORRISWhy is it that the right hon. Gentleman requires so much longer time for considering this Report than was necessary for the President of the Board of Education?