§ MR. DAVITTI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the dietary scale in the convict prisons of England and Wales, for penal servitude prisoners at hard labour, has been increased in recent years; and, if so, could he state to what extent, in ounces of bread or meat, or both, in the week; whether penal class diet has been increased; and, if so, to what extent; and whether punishment diet is still restricted to 16 ounces of bread per day and a pint of water?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThe diet per week has been increased by a pint of soup, containing four ounces of pork, four ounces of peas, and some other ingredients. 31 There is no such thing as a penal class diet. The diets for ill-conducted and idle convicts will be found in the draft rules. No. 1 diet is as stated by the hon. Member, but cannot be given for more than three days at a time.
§ MR. JAMES O'CONNORWith regard to No. 1 diet, when a prisoner gets that for three days, how long must elapse before it is again inflicted?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThat will appear in the Rules on the Table of the House.
§ MR. J. O'CONNORIs it not a fact it can be re-imposed after the lapse of only one day?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThat is not the case.
§ MR. J. BURNS (Battersea)Is the additional pint of soup granted an additional pint per day or per week?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTIt is an addition to the Sunday dinner.
§ MR. BURNSThen am I to gather that the prisoners have less food on Sundays than on ordinary working days?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTI must not be taken to admit that the amount of food is inadequate or unsatisfactory, and I shall have something to say on the point in the discussion on the Prisons Bill. On inquiry I thought it might be fair to add something to the Sunday dinner, and this was done.
§ MR. J. O'CONNORIs not this Sunday dinner a quarter of a pound of cheese and half a pound of bread?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! I think the hon. Member will see that this Question is out of order, and that it is undesirable to discuss the question of prison dietary when the whole question is before the House on the Prisons Bill.