HC Deb 29 August 1887 vol 320 cc255-6
MR. BLANE (Armagh, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the Governor of Armagh Prison stopped an application addressed by the warders to the Chairman of the General Prisons' Board on the plea that— Any document signed collectively by the staff being contrary to the Regulations, in fact amounting to a breach of discipline; whether a like Memorial was forwarded by the staff of Dundalk Prison and other prisons, and the requests granted by the Board; and, whether a complaint has been made by one of the officers of Armagh Prison against the Governor, about the 23rd of July, 1887, for permitting two of his officers to exempt themselves from evening and night duty to parade town from 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 o'clock, whilst the remainder of the staff are kept on duty for four consecutive evenings till 10 p.m., and are only off two evenings, from 6.20. one evening and 7 p.m. The second evening, and obliged to do night guards every sixth night?

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN)(who replied) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)

said: The Governor of Armagh Prison did, on a recent occasion, refuse to send forward a communication signed by the majority of the subordinate officers of his staff, giving the reason stated in the Question, but adding that if the officers submitted applications he would forward them to the Board. The Governor of Dundalk Prison states that at no time has he forwarded such a Memorial; but it has occurred that on former occasions Memorials of this nature have been forwarded from some of the other prisons, and been answered by the Board. It is, however, manifest that in a service such as the Prison Service, where discipline must be strict, anything in the nature of a round robin or collective note from the subordinate staff is highly undesirable. One of the warders of Armagh Prison did make a complaint of the nature referred to, which was duly submitted to the Board, and has been forwarded for inquiry and report to the Inspector, Captain Hill, who will deal with the matter upon his return to duty from leave of absence.