§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, is founded on a theory of eugenics, now proved to be fallacious, intended to provide segregation for those who were said to be a danger to the fitness of the race ; that there appears to have been a tendency to detain female prisoners throughout the whole of the 25 to 30 years of their child-bearing life ; and if he will now take steps which will permit detainees under this Act to marry when released on licence.
§ Mr. TurtonNo. The fact that a woman detained under the Act is of child-bearing age has not prevented her licence upon trial and eventual discharge. Defective women and girls on licence are not prevented from marrying if it is thought likely that they will be properly cared for.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Health the number of young girls who, since 1930, detained originally for one year on a court order in an institution under Sections 2, 8 or 9 of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, for an offence punishable in the case of an adult by imprisonment only, have had their periods of detention prolonged by subsequent terms of five years so as to cover the whole period of their childbearing life.
§ Mr. TurtonI regret that information in the form requested is not available. The period of detention of a patient in a mental deficiency hospital is related only to the need for care and training in the patient's own interests and not to any other consideration.