Hon. H. A. BRUCE (Parkdale):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Pensions and National Health, of which I have given notice, in view of the statement made yesterday by Doctor Wilder G. Penfield, leading neurological surgeon on the North American continent and head of the Montreal Neurological Institute, who is reported in the Gazette of to-day to the effect that the offer to the government of the institute as a treatment centre had been turned down because of fear of the establishment of an embarrassing precedent. Doctor Penfield further said:

It is not for us to question this decision, but four and a half years of this war have now passed, and the Canadian government has done practically nothing to establish special centres for the care of war injuries of the nervous system; nothing at all in Quebec and the maritimes.

I would ask the minister to inform the house why this offer was not accepted.

3364 COMMONS

Armed Forces-Neurological Treatment

Hon. IAN A. MACKENZIE (Minister of Pensions and National Health): I received

notice of my hon. friend's question just before I came into the house, and hurriedly perused the article in the Montreal Gazette. Of course, as Your Honour is aware, it is entirely improper to quote from press reports on the orders of the day, though I am not making any point of that. Two statements are made in the article in question, the first having' to do with the lack of accommodation for the armed services. This statement is entirely inaccurate. At the present time we are operating 23,000 hospital beds in Canada, 15,000 by the armed services. In 1939 the Department of Pensions and National Health was operating 2,700 beds; at the present time it is operating 8,450 and will be operating 10,000 within a year.

In regard to neurological cases, I have the most profound admiration for Doctor Penfield, as one of the outstanding men of the world in his field; but in conjunction with the armed services we recently established four centres for the special care of neurological cases, in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto. In Montreal neurological cases receive preliminary investigation at Ste. Anne's and are then moved to the Montreal Neurological Institute for major surgery.

With reference to the alleged turning down of the institute, I take it that my hon. friend's question refers to a suggestion that was made for an additional wing to that institute for the special care of such cases. This is exactly the sort of suggestion that was received in five, six or seven hundred similar cases all over Canada, from other hospitals, which in the very nature of things cannot be accepted. I can assure my hon. friend that every possible consideration has been given, is being given and will be given to the treatment and care of neurological cases in the armed forces of the crown before and after discharge.

Mr. BRUCE:

Does the minister not think a man with the outstanding ability of Doctor Penfield should be given an opportunity of doing this work in Montreal?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver Centre):

I do not believe that question is in order, either. I said I had the most profound admiration for a man of the outstanding ability of Doctor Penfield, but he displayed a remarkable lack of knowledge of the preparations made both by the armed services and by the Department of Pensions and National Health in regard to the care of neurological cases in Canada. We are using his services now.

(Mr. Bruce.]

Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Munitions and Supply):

I did not see the item in question, but definitely those who converted from light fuel oil, the type ordinarily used for domestic heating, to coal, may not convert back. That regulation is very definite. There has been an easing in the supply of heavy fuel oil such as is used for bunkering ships and in larger heating plants. There has been a surplus supply of heavy fuel oil in consequence of using a lower grade of crude in our refineries, and therefore conversion from coal to heavy fuel oil is permitted. But I wish to make it clear that this means nothing at all to the householder, or to the owner of the ordinary apartment block, all of whom must necessarily use light fuel oil, which is in position of very acute shortage. Therefore no conversion of the type suggested can be permitted.

Mr. HOMUTH:

One of these days could the minister give a full statement of the situation with regard to fuels of various kinds?

Mr. HOWE:

I shall be glad to do that. INTERNMENTS

Mr. LACOMBE (Translation):

With reference to the reply which the hon. the Minister of Justice (Mr. St. Laurent) made on Thursday last, May 25, 1944, to one of my questions concerning the review of Mr. Camillien Houde's case, will the minister kindly tell the house whether Mr. Houde has been released from an internment camp, as a result of the hearing he had before the members of the advisory committee in Fredericton on Friday last, May 26, or, at any rate, if the report of the committee is favourable to the release of Mr. Houde, when he will be discharged?

Hon. LOUIS S. ST. LAURENT (Minister of Justice) (Translation): In reply to the honourable member's question, I may say that:

War Appropriation-Finance

1. Mr. Houde has not been released.

2. I have not been informed that he had a hearing in Fredericton on Friday last.

3. A report has not yet been made to me.

4. When the report of the committee reaches me, I shall consider it, along with all the other documents on file, in the usual manner, keeping in mind the responsibility which devolves upon me under the Defence of Canada Regulations.

Mr. G. S. WHITE (Hastings-Peterborough):

I wish -to direct a question to the Minister of Labour. When the minister's estimates were before the house on May 1, as reported at page 2509 of Hansard, I asked him if he would give certain information under ten different items in regard to man-power. He promised to give this information at an early day. May I expect that information this week?

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

I shall be glad to look into the

matter and see what I can do to expedite the information which the hon. member has asked for.