§ MR. PICKERSGILLI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is aware that a synagogue is being erected in Wormwood Scrubbs; (2) whether the number of Jews in that prison is sufficient to justify this expenditure; and (3) whether the average number of Jews in the prison population has largely increased in recent years?
§ MR. B. L. COHEN (Islington)Is it usual to give public information respecting the number of prisoners belonging to separate religious denominations?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThe answer to the first two paragraphs is in the affirmative. The building is being erected to supply a long-standing need and remedy what has long been felt to be a grievance by the Jewish community. I have no definite information on the point raised in the last paragraph, but the number on Monday last was 37. With reference to the Question of the honourable Member for Islington, it is obvious it would be inexpedient to give information about the religious persuasions of prisoners, and to state whether the number of any particular class of prisoners increases or decreases; but for the purposes of the honourable Gentleman the Member for Bethnal Green I think I have given him all the information he wants.