Mr. KELLYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether there are under the senior assistant professor at the Medical College, Madras, and the senior assis- 486W tant surgeon, General Hospital, Madras, Indian civil doctors with university qualifications sufficient to enable them to be registered under the Medical Acts and to be recognised as medical practitioners in this country; whether the present holders of these posts are military assistant surgeons who had only four years' course of studies prior to qualification; whether he is aware that military assistant surgeons are not allowed, according to the Army Regulations, to use the knife, and are allowed to perform only the duties of dispensers and apothecaries as long as they are attached to military hospitals; and what is the number of natives of India who have so far filled these posts?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThere appear to be no Indian Civil doctors with the qualifications indicated, under the senior professor at the Medical College, Madras. As regards the status of the latter officers, I beg to refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor to the question by the hon. Member for Galway North on 21st October last. It is not possible to state what number of natives of India have filled these posts. I am not aware of any rule forbidding military assistant surgeons to perform operations.