§ Mr. ALDENasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is prepared, in accordance with the tenor of the memorial signed by 330 Members of Parliament and 236 doctors which was presented to him last July, to grant permissive powers to the London Country Council and other county councils to form a committee to manage and maintain a hospital which uncertificated mental patients may enter voluntarily to receive the early treatment most conducive to their cure?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a similar question on 1st March. I have no authority to confer on county councils the powers suggested in the question, but my hon. Friend will see on reference to the London County Council (General Powers) Bill that the county council are seeking powers to receive in a hospital cases of the kind mentioned.