§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNE (Rochester)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the grievances of the officers of Borstal Prison have been brought to his notice; and whether he will kindly promise to consider them; and, in that case, when he expects to be in a position to give a reply upon the subject?
§ MR. ASQUITHI have looked into the facts in connection with the officials of Borstal Prison to which the noble Lord has drawn my attention, and do not find any ground for complaint. The Committee of 1891 went carefully into all the representations brought to their notice, and reported that, in their opinion, the hours of duty for convict prison officials were not excessive. In 343 this opinion I concur. The system in force at Borstal is the same as at other convict prisons. I have directed a full reply to be sent to the noble Lord upon a number of specific points which he has brought privately to my attention. If the warders have any special matters of complaint, their proper course is to bring them in the first instance to the notice of the Visiting Director, who visits the prison every month.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNEI should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman if he admits the allegations I have brought before him are founded on fact, and that the state of things entirely differs from the time tables set forth in the last Report of the Director of Convict Prisons?
§ MR. ASQUITHI must refer the noble Lord to the detailed answer.