§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNE (Rochester)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is a fact that the great reduction in the number of criminals in our convict prisons has made the promotion of warders very slow; whether, in consequence, he will consider the propriety of placing their pay and promotion on the same footing as that of the Metropolitan Police, and whether he can state what extra charge will be thrown upon the Estimates by such a change?
§ MR. ASQUITHIt is true that the promotion of warders in the convict prisons has been retarded by the reduction in the number of criminals. But the whole subject of the pay and promotion of convict prison warders was considered as lately as July, 1891, by Lord de Ramsay's Committee, and on the report of that committee the Home Secretary, in conjunction with the Treasury, adopted what they considered fair and sufficient alleviations of the disadvantages arising therefrom. The duties, terms of engagement, and conditions of service of the police are so different front those of warders that there is no ground for assimilating their pay and promotion. What the cost of doing so would be it is impossible to say.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is a fact that the warders of Borstal Prison, when on day duty, are allowed a half-holiday every alternate Saturday; and, if so, why the warders on night duty have no corresponding advantage?
§ MR. ASQUITHThe same class of warders perform day and night duty, and each officer before commencing his turn of a fortnight's night duty has half a day off, and another half-day after its termination.