§ 5. Mr. Wyattasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the case of a Mrs. Kindred who was put on probation in Birmingham on 27th January after the bench had been informed that she had agreed to be sterilised; and whether he will set up a committee to inquire into the desirability or otherwise of amending the law with regard to sterilisation.
§ Mr. EdeI am informed that the court in deciding to put Mrs. Kindred on probation were not influenced by the information given to them that she was willing to be sterilised and that they made no reference to it in pronouncing their decision. Certain aspects of this question of sterilisation have already been considered by a Departmental Committee appointed by the Board of Control which reported in 1934. The general question of birth control was considered by the Royal Commission on Population. It would not appear that any useful purpose would be served by setting up a further committee.
§ Mr. WyattAs the Committee to which the Home Secretary referred strongly recommended that sterilisation should be legalised in certain cases, and as it is important that this should be done urgently, is it not time to consider introducing legislation to this end?
§ Mr. EdeNo, Sir. The matter is highly controversial and involves, I think, very serious infringement of the liberty of the subject. I am not prepared to introduce legislation.