§ SIR ROBERT FOWLER (London)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If, prior to the establishment of a Court of Criminal Appeal, or, perhaps, in lieu of it, he will request one or more of the existing Inspectors or Directors of Prisons to visit periodically the several convict prisons for the special purpose of affording every convict an opportunity of bringing forward any reasonable plea as to his innocence, or conviction by mistake, such pleas being then made the subjects of adequate investigation by the Home Office Authorities?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)It is now the practice for the Directors and Inspectors of Prisons constantly to visit the prisons and to hear complaints from the prisoners. When any prisoner wishes to bring forward proofs of innocence of the crime of which he is convicted, he is desired to write out a full statement of 1743 the representations he has to make. This statement is invariably forwarded to the Home Office, and there receives full and proper consideration.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)Are those statements recorded in a book at the Home Office?
§ MR. MATTHEWSThey are not entered in a book; but there is a complete registered index of them.