HC Deb 12 April 1962 vol 657 cc1631-2

Lords Amendment: In page 3, line 13, leave out "or to a medical inspector" and insert: on the advice of a medical inspector or, if no such inspector is available, of any other duly qualified medical practitioner

10.0 p.m.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. David Renton)

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

Under the Bill as it stood, an immigration officer was given power to refuse admission for medical reasons without necessarily obtaining the views of a doctor. The effect of this Amendment is that the immigration officer will not be able to refuse admission on medical grounds except on the advice either of a medical inspector—and that will be the usual case—or, if there is no medical inspector available, on the advice of any other duly qualified medical practitioner. We were pressed in both Houses to agree to an Amendment on these lines and, therefore, I hope that the Amendment will be accepted.

Question put and agreed to.