§ Mr. CASSELLSasked the Home Secretary whether he will inquire into the case of the late Patrick Conway, of 400, Moffat Street, Glasgow E. 5, whose widow applied to the medical board for silicosis and asbestosis for a certification to the effect that Mr. Conway died from silicosis; and is he aware that the board demanded payment from the widow of the statutory charge of £2 2s., and on receipt of it wrote to her on 17th November, 1936, that a certificate was not to be granted, even though no post-mortem examination of the deceased was made?
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§ Sir J. SIMONI understand that Conway died on the 12th July, but that notwithstanding a previous warning to the family no post-mortem examination was arranged for and the board were not informed until the end of the month, when the body had been buried and they had no authority to interfere with it. They thereupon informed the widow that they would be unable to issue a certificate without such an examination. Subsequently her solicitor asked them to decide that no post-mortem was necessary, but after a careful review of the evidence before them, they were unable to certify that the death was caused by the disease, and so informed him. The fee has been refunded.