§ Sir R. NEWMANasked the Home Secretary whether county councils which have no women members on their body can co-opt women to serve, on the committee of their county asylums; and, if this power does not exist, whether, in view of the fact that at least half the patients in these institutions are women and so many county councils have no women members, steps will be taken to give county councils the power to co-opt women on their asylum committees?
§ Mr. SHORTTThere is no power to add co-opted members, whether men or women, to the visiting committee of an asylum. I agree that in the event of any amendment of the Lunacy Acts it may be well to provide for the appointment of co-opted members, as in the case of the committees under the Mental Deficiency Act.