§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYasked the Home Secretary if he will state how many imbeciles and lunatics have escaped from public asylums in the United Kingdom since 1st January, 1909?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEThe Commissioners in Lunacy inform me that there have been 67 escapes from asylums in England and Wales this year. I am not in possession of the figures for Scotland and Ireland.
§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYasked the Home Secretary if the Lunacy Commissioners 617W are making special inquiry into the exercising of imbeciles and lunatics in public places; and if they have yet presented a report on the subject?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEA Report from the Commissioners in Lunacy of an inquiry which they made at my request into the escapes of lunatics from the asylums in the neighbourhood of Epsom, and matters connected with the supervision of patients both within and beyond the asylum boundaries, was presented to Parliament on Monday last. This report gives also the views of the Commissioners, with which I concur, on the general question of exercising patients outside asylum boundaries.
§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYasked the Home Secretary if his attention has been directed to the escape from Brookwood Asylum, near Woking, of a lunatic named Wickenden; if this man is of a violent disposition; if he will explain under what circumstances the escape took place, and who is to blame for the occurrence; and what steps are being taken to protect the public in the matter?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEI have received a report in this case from the Commissioners in Lunacy. It appears that Wickenden escaped in the early hours of last Friday by picking the locks of two doors. He is stated to be suffering from chronic mania, but never to have assaulted anyone in the asylum. I have no information to show that blame attaches to anyone in the matter. The man was recaptured on the day after his escape.