§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (Londonderry)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has heard that complaints are made by the warders of the local prisons in England as to the long hours of attendance and work; whether in most prisons the hours of attendance are never less than from six in the morning to six in the afternoon, and every fourth day from six in the morning until ten at night, with each alternate Sunday counting for work as a week-day; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the condition and the alleged grievances of the prison warders?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I am informed by the Prison Commissioners that no such complaints have reached them. Warders come on duty at 6 a.m. and leave at 6 p.m., but during that period they are allowed 40 minutes for breakfast and 70 minutes for dinner. They have duty on alternate Sundays. Every few days a warder remains to sleep in the prison. On these days he is on duty till 8 p.m., and goes to bed at 10. I have no reason to believe that the warders are dissatisfied with their condition, or that they suffer from grievances calling for inquiry.