§ MR. E. H. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will state which of the recommendations of the recent Prisons Committee he proposes to carry out immediately? The hon. Member further asked if the right hon. Gentleman would lay upon the Table the Report which he had received from the Prison Commissioners dealing with the recommendations of the recent Departmental Committee on Prisons?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW RIDLEY,) Lancashire, BlackpoolSome of the recommendations of the Prisons Committee will require legislation before they can be carried into effect. Others, which involve expenditure, will require Treasury sanction. Some can be adopted forthwith, and of 1693 these latter some are already in operation. I am, however, not at present in a position to make a full statement on the subject. With respect to the second question, I cannot go further than what I said on the Estimates—that I would consider whether the Prisons Commissioners' Report should be laid upon the Table.
§ MR. PICKERSGILLThe other day the right hon. Gentleman said that there were certain of the recommendations which he proposed to carry out immediately. Is there any objection to stating what those recommendations are?
§ SIR MATTHEW RIDLEYThat answer is not within the limits of the question. There are a considerable number of those recommendations in operation now. But as some of those which are in operation involve questions as to others, it would be inexpedient to say anything until I am in a position to make a full statement.