§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Labour the total number of general medical practitioners employed on medical boards for the examination of recruits; the number of these medical men who are members of the British Medical Association, and the number who have acted in an honorary capacity as officials of local branches or divisions of that Association; and whether he is aware of the widespread feeling prevailing amongst practitioners that Government funds are being used to provide recompense for past services?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe number of medical practitioners at present serving either as chairman or as members of the panels of medical boards, appointed under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939, is 2,692. I have no information about the number of these practitioners who are members of the British Medical Association or who have acted as officials of that Association. I have received no expressions of dissatisfaction at the appointments.
§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Labour why appointments to medical boards for the examination of recruits made by his Department are not given effect to; whether he will make inquiries into the appointment, dated 1st June, 1939, under the Military Training Act, 1939, as a member of the medical board to be assembled at Hounslow; the notification by the chairman of such board, dated 16th idem, that the sittings of the boards were suspended; the eventual transfer, owing to urgency, of the appointment under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939, by the letter from his 426W Department, dated 6th September, 1939; the purported confirmation by the British Medical Association (West Middlesex Local Emergency Committee) in September of the appointment already made by his Department, and later the removal of the doctor's name from the board to which he was appointed by his Department; and the receipt by the doctor of Form III from the British Medical Association, head office, dated 28th September, 1939, to the effect that the doctor's name was placed in the reserve list for whole time public health work in outside areas subject to the approval of the local emergency committee?
§ Mr. BrownI am making inquiries, and these would be facilitated if the hon. Member would be good enough to furnish me with the name of the medical practitioner to whom he refers.