§ 43. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Health when the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford can expect a reply to his letter of 16th September complaining of the appointment of a charge male nurse at a mental hospital who recently resigned his post of assistant chief male nurse at another mental hospital after being convicted of the theft of money belonging to patients.
§ Mr. PowellI am writing to the hon. Member today. He should have had an answer to his letter long ago, and I am sorry he has not.
§ Mr. DoddsNow that the matter has been brought on to the Floor of the House, after an unreasonably long time, will the Minister, speaking from the Dispatch Box, say whether or not a man who was found guilty of robbing mental patients is to be allowed to enter another mental hospital, if he so desires, where he may do the same thing again? If so, will the Minister bear in mind that many of the patients in these hospitals have lost their liberty because they are not fit to look after themselves in the outside world, that they are our especial care and that we expect occurrences of this sort not to be tolerated again?
§ Mr. PowellI appreciate and share the anxiety of the hon. Member. There are a number of aspects of this case which I am investigating further.