§ MR. H. J. WILSON (York, W.R., Holmfirth)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he can state in what classes of cases female prisoners are searched, on arrest, at the Metropolitan Police Stations; at how many of such stations women employed as seachers reside, and at how many do they not reside, on the premises; whether women, stating to the police that they have been criminally assaulted, are invited to submit to an immediate medical examination; whether, at such examinations, the female searcher or some other woman is invariably present; whether he is aware that several States in America have adopted a system of 877 appointing police matrons; and, whether he will consider the propriety of adopting such a system in London?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.), in reply, said, that female prisoners were searched in cases of felony with a view of finding upon them property that might be of an incriminating or dangerous character. There were female searchers resident at 22 of the Metropolitan Stations, and others resided within a short distance of 146 stations. He would consider the question of the appointment of police matrons; but he understood that the existing system worked well on the whole.