§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the maximum number of hours convict warders are kept on duty per day and per week; and, whether he will endeavour to arrange the duties of prison officers as to reduce the average number of hours for duty to eight, same as in all other Government Departments?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYThe maximum is for a day, 10 hours 35 minutes; for a week, 65 hours and 40 minutes. I have already informed the hon. Member that the Committee who inquired into this matter came to the conclusion that none of the schemes for arranging the duty of prison officers so as to give an eight hours' day were practicable. I am not aware that an eight hours' day is the rule in all other Government Departments.