UNIVERSITY OF WALES (No. 2) BILL. (Hansard, 7 December 1911)

LORD KENYON

My Lords, this is a Bill to enable the students of the Welsh University to obtain registrable qualifications under the Medical Acts to enable them to practise as doctors if they obtain medical degrees. By the Supplemental Charter of 1900 the University was allowed to confer medical degrees, but that did not carry the registrable qualification necessary for them to practise. That qualification is now carried in the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, the Scottish Universities, and the Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and Bristol Universities, and therefore we appeal to 676 your Lordships to allow the University of Wales to stand in the same category as the Universities I have mentioned. This Bill has been considered by the Medical Council, who have given it their approval. It has passed the House of Commons without any opposition, and, indeed, without any debate. It is, of course, most important that the standard for the examination should be a good one, and we think that that is guaranteed because the General Medical Council and the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons have representation on the Medical Board. By Statute the University has fixed six years as the qualifying period, which is longer than, or as long a period as, that of any other University. There is a medical school at Cardiff controlled by a medical board, and there are, also at Cardiff infirmaries and hospitals where students can walk, as it is commonly called. In short, I do not think there is any reason why the University of Wales should not be granted this power. I beg to move.