§ Mr. CLYNESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Glasgow insurance Committee is sending insured persons under the National Insurance Act to an institution known as Quarter's Consumptive Home at Bridge of Weir; whether he is aware that, the institution is under Protestant management; that every patient is obliged to join twice a day in Protestant prayers, and that a Catholic patient left the home in consequence; and that a question in this House prevented a Jewish patient from being sent to the same establishment to take part in Christian prayers; and whether, as the Glasgow Insurance Committee has approved of the rule prevailing in the establishment, in spite of the protests of a minority of that committee, he proposes; to take any action in the matter?
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§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Glasgow Insurance Committee have no powers to determine the rules of the Bridge of Weir sanatorium. They do not send to it any patients who have any conscientious objections to observing the rule mentioned in the question. The only further action they could take would be to refuse to send those who have no such objection. This would, however, obviously be to the disadvantage of Catholics or Jews themselves, as the committee are at present able to find accommodation for them in other institutions, but might have greater difficulty in doing so if they had to send to such other institutions, not only those who object to entering the Bridge of Weir sanatorium, but also Protestants who desire to go there.