§ LORD ELCHO (Ipswich)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in all cases when, in consequence of the Report of the Committee on the Accommodation of Untried Prisoners, it is proposed to rebuild, extend, or otherwise alter the proposed accommodation, Her Majesty's Government are prepared to examine the plans before the proposed works are carried out, in order to see that the intended alterations comply with the recommendation of the Committee, and are in every respect suited to the requirements of the case?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)In the Circular which I have lately issued, I have invited the Local Authorities to communicate with me what works they propose to undertake. Such communications I shall refer to the Surveyor General of Prisons, and, acting on his advice, shall inform the Local Authorities of my own opinion on their proposals;and by these means I hope, not only that the accommodation may be brought up to a proper standard, but also that any useless expense may be avoided.