§ MR. ARTHUR PEASE (Darlington)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a Bill, in accordance with the 925 recommendations of the recent Departmental Committee on Prisons, in reference to habitual criminals and inveterate misdemeanants, providing for longer terms of detention in order to promote their reformatory treatment?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYWith regard to habitual criminals generally, I shall not be able to introduce legislation as to their treatment during the present Session. The view which is taken by the Prison Commissioners of the recommendation of the Departmental Committee on this point, and with which I concur, will be found in their memorandum of observations on the Committee's Report, which I shall shortly lay upon the Table of the House. Though in sympathy with the recommendation, it does not point to the necessity of immediate legislation. If the hon. Member has specially in mind the cases of persons continually convicted of drunkenness, I may say that a measure for the treatment of this one class of habitual offenders is in preparation, and will shortly, I hope, be introduced.