§ MR. HASTINGSasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the constitution of the Irish Prisons Board has been altered by the reduction of one of the two paid members; and, whether it is intended to adopt the further proposal made by the Chairman of that Board to the Royal Commission on Irish Prisons, that his own powers should be increased and those of his colleague be diminished; and, if so, whether the instructions defining the respective powers of the Chairman and the other paid member will be laid before the House?
SIR E. ASSHETON CROSSasked, whether any steps had been taken to give effect to any of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Irish Prisons; and, if so, what steps?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANOne of the three paid members of the Prisons Board will retire on the 1st of April next, and his place will not be filled up. In lieu of it, a medical gentleman of experience, who has been for some years an Inspector under the Local Government Board, and who was previously Superintendent of the Criminal Lunatic Asylum at Dundrum, has been appointed to the newly-created office of Medical Officer to the Prisons Board. I presume some re-arrangement of the duties of the Board will necessarily follow upon this change; but there is no intention of increasing the powers of the Chairman. With regard to the Question of the right hon. Gentleman, I may say that steps are being taken to carry out a great many of the recommendations of the Commission—as many as could be carried out in such short notice. I will, however, answer more in detail 1432 and with greater accuracy if the right hon. Gentleman will give Notice of his Question.