§ MR. PICKERSGILLI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the Prison Commissioners have recently issued a standing order to the effect that the number of books in the library of each prison is in future to be restricted to a proportion of three books to every two prisoners in the class eligible to receive library books; whether it has been brought to his knowledge that those chaplains and schoolmasters who take most interest in their libraries object to this order as crippling their usefulness; and whether, inasmuch as the importance of a good library as a moralising agency is generally recognised, he will consider whether this order should be rescinded or modified?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThe honourable Member is misinformed both as to the intention and as to the effect of the recent circular to which I imagine he alludes. A scale, of course, has had to be laid down, but the proportion is larger than he supposes, and is sufficient to supply prisoners with the books to which they are entitled. At the same time the libraries have been purged of a large number of old and unserviceable volumes; and the present provision for supplying literature to prisoners is greater than has ever been attempted before. Exception was taken to the circular by two chaplains apparently through a misunderstanding as to its intentions, which has now been removed.
§ MR. M. DAVITT (Mayo, S.)Is it not the fact that the books in the library at Wormwood Scrubbs average only about two for each prisoner?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThere is a certain scale of books based on the prison population. There is a better supply now than there has been for some years.
§ MR. PICKERSGILLDo I understand that the proportion indicated in my question is incorrect?
§ MR. PICKERSGILLWhat is the proportion?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTAt the present time in convict prisons it is two books for each convict, and that is a sufficient number for circulation. In local prisons it varies according to the prison population, and is in some more than two for each prisoner, and in some less.