§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is true, as reported, that he proposes to place Brixton Military Prison under the charge of a chief warder; what are the wages and qualifications of a chief warder; whether it is the legal duty of the chief officer of a prison to " observe the conduct of the prison officers, and enforce on each of them the due execution of his duties "; and whether, under the the new arrangement, the chaplain and surgeon at Brixton will thus be subordinate to the chief warder; and, if not, to whom will they be subordinate?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEThe question relates to my Department, and the hon. Member will allow me to answer. From the present small number of military prisoners at Brixton, it is considered that a chief warder will be sufficient for the charge of the prison. The pay is £125 a year, with a yearly increment to £150, with quarters; and the qualifications of the present chief warder are experience and good conduct in a similar capacity. As the chief warder is generally responsible for the prison, the other officials are necessarily in a sense subordinate to him, as in many other military prisons; but, of course, the chaplain and the medical officer are responsible for their technical duties, whether the officer in charge is styled governor or chief warder.