Dr. Morganasked the Home Secretary whether any statistics are available, giving the number of prisoners or detainees who have been released on medical grounds of suffering from phlebitis or thrombophlebitis or have been transferred to outside institutions for treatment for these complaints?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonAs regards the general policy in the case of prisoners I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 9th December to my hon. and gallant Friend, the Member for Handsworth (Commander Locker-Lampson). As there pointed out, the question of release depends not on the particular type of disease but on the effect of the disease on the individual and the degree of danger which continued imprisonment may entail. The detailed information asked for could not be obtained without a laborious examination of the individual records of prisoners and detainees who have been released on medical grounds or transferred to outside institutions for hospital treatment, and I should not feel justified in diverting officers at the present time to undertake this work.