MR. TATTON EGERTONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he will delay closing the prison at Chester to give an opportunity for discussion in the House; and, whether, in the future, any Prison Rules involving the closing of prisons will, at the time of being laid upon the Table of the House, be also communicated to the Members for the county or borough in which such prison is situate, and also to the Chairman of Quarter Sessions or Chairman of Visiting Justices?
SIR WILLIAM HARCOUETThe Order has been suspended. Orders as to closing prisons—i. e., as to the cessation of committals to prisons—are necessarily communicated to the committing authorities. The process does not involve laying any Rule on the Table of the House, except in certain particular cases. Any Order which is laid on the Table would necessarily be issued to the county and borough Members.