§ MR. WEDGWOODI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will say for what offences, and by what courts, the four boys under twelve referred to on page 13 of the Report of the Commissioners of Prisons for 1906 were imprisoned; and what terms of imprisonment were actually served by them.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.)No. 1 was convicted at Kettering Police Court of stealing apples and sentenced to seven days imprisonment, which he served. He had been previously convicted. Nos. 2 and 3 were convicted at Lindsey (Lincolnshire) Petty Sessions of larceny of eggs after a previous conviction, and were ordered to be sent to a reformatory school for three years, and to be detained in prison until a reformatory school could be found to receive them. They were in prison for ten days. No. 4 was committed from Ashby-de-la-Zouch Petty Sessions for three days for stealing growing apples, and was discharged in ordinary course on the morning of the third day. Though his age was given at the prison as just under twelve, it is now stated that he was over that age.
§ MR. WEDGWOODI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will direct that any boy under fourteen years of age who is committed to prison shall be detained in a female prison or on the female side of a prison.
§ MR. GLADSTONEThe treatment of boys under fourteen in prison is governed by Special Rules (Nos. 258 to 274 of the Rules for the government of Local Prisons) which provide for considerable modifications of ordinary prison arrangements and mitigations of prison discipline in their case. The question will be further dealt with in the Children's Bill, which is to be introduced this afternoon.