§ 48. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Defence why the service medical history of a demobilised man cannot at his request be made available for life assurance purposes.
§ Mr. AlexanderThe point is one of some difficulty. I am considering it with the Service Ministers and will write to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as possible.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind while he is considering this matter that it may be desirable for soldiers who find it impossible to get life insurances unless they have their medical records to be allowed to get them in special cases?
§ Mr. AlexanderIt is quite a new principle in medical examination for insurance for a client to be told that he cannot be insured unless he produces his Army record. It is the responsibility of the insurance companies to obtain their own medical officers and to take their own risks.
§ Major Legge-BourkeDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that it is sometimes essential, in order to establish whether a certain disability has a certain cause behind it, to get hold of the records made at the time of the original injury or illness?
§ Mr. AlexanderWe shall always do our best not to do any injury to an ex-Service man. It is fundamental that we should not interfere with the general practice that applies to general cases of insurance for the civil population and which has been a long established practice in all industrial organisations.