MR. SPICER&c.) (Monmouth,I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Committee of Inquiry into our prison administration may be extended to police stations and other places of temporary detention in the Metropolis where women or children are, during their detention, without the continuous and personal control of police matrons, so that the Metropolitan police stations may have similar supervision provided for women that is to be found in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other Scotch towns?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.The Reference to the proposed Committee is confined to prison administration, and the field which it covers is so wide that I do not feel justified in enlarging it. The subject of the detention of women or children without the control of matrons is one of considerable importance, and is engaging my personal attention. For the last three years women have been employed as occasion required to look after females arrested and detained at police stations. The results so far appear to be satisfactory, and I am considering, in consultation with the Commissioner of Police, whether any and what changes are desirable in the direction pointed to by my hon. Friend's question.