HC Deb 13 February 1940 vol 357 cc565-7
32. Mr. Woodburn

asked the Secretary of State for War why soldiers boarded out for mental afflictions, nerves, etc., and discharged, are all given a uniform discharge form warning relatives that the person may be dangerous, thus causing unnecessary pain and alarm where no danger is involved; and whether he will take steps to have this practice altered to accord with the facts in each case?

Mr. Stanley

Thehon. Member is referring to the certificate which relatives or friends are required to sign when taking charge of a mental case. This is used only when a diagnosis of mental disease has been clearly established, and is considered to be a necessary form of certificate.

Mr. Woodburn

When mental disease in no way involves danger to relatives at all, is the Minister aware that this uniform discharge form creates great alarm among parents and relatives as well as distress, and ought they not to be informed when a man has not a dangerous mental disease by having it stated in a less urgent form?

Mr. Stanley

I inquired into that possibility of my medical advisers, who said that there was no guarantee in any mental case that a person might not become dangerous at some future date, and therefore it is our duty to warn the relatives.

Mr. Woodburn

Is there any guarantee that anybody may not become dangerous?

33. Mr. Buchanan

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Mr. E. Rufferty, of 18, Wolseley Street, Glasgow, was discharged after a number of years service from the King's Own Scottish Borderers suffering from tuberculosis; that when he joined the Army he was accepted as in perfect health; that he has been unable to follow employment since his discharge over 18 months ago; that the Secretary of State for War, in a letter of 6th September, 1938, promised to have this man's case reconsidered; that no consideration has yet been given and the man has had no personal hearing on its merits; and whether he will take steps to have a decision made in this case?

Mr. Stanley

The Question does not quite correctly represent the facts. There are no factors special to this man's service of just over six years to which if is possible to attribute his disability, and as matters stand he has received the maximum award which could be made to him, that is, a gratuity of £36 on invaliding for a non-attributable disability. A general investigation has, however, been undertaken into the whole question of the attributability of tuberculosis to military service, and the letter to which the hon. Member refers indicated that, if this resulted in any alteration of accepted principles under which such a case as Mr. Rafferty's could be accepted as attributable, he would be given the benefit of such new decision. The investigation referred to is necessarily a difficult and detailed one and no conclusion has yet been reached.

Mr. Buchanan

Is the Minister aware that it is over 18 months since his predecessor told me that an investigation was going on, and is there any chance of ever reaching a final conclusion?

Mr. Stanley

The proceedings, of course, were held up by the commencement of the war, but I have given instructions to my representative of that committee to do everything he can to speed up its deliberations and reach a conclusion as soon as possible.