§ Colonel Dodds-Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in what circumstances members of the Colonial Medical Service are permitted to undertake private practice; and whether, to ensure that Government medical practitioners devote only a fair proportion of their time to private practice, he will direct that a statement should be attached to the Annual Medical Report of each colony showing in aggregate the sums received by Government medical officers on this account for the year.
Mr. George Hall: Since the Colonial Medical Service was instituted in 1934 no officer appointed to it has had a right to engage in private practice, but in many cases officers are allowed to do so as a privilege under conditions governed by local regulations. Differences in local circumstances and in previous custom have led to a wide variation in the procedure hitherto adopted in different Colonies. I have, however, now under consideration proposals which I hope will lead to much greater uniformity in this matter. In the meantime I should prefer to postpone consideration of the suggestion made by the hon. and gallant Member.