§ MR. DANE (Fermanagh, N)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed unanimously by the Grand Jury for the Ulster Winter Assize Courts at the last winter assizes, in which they recommend that, in view of the large number of criminal assaults upon girls of tender years, the judges of assize should be empowered to award corporal punishment as part of the sentence in such cases; and whether it is the intention of the Government to take steps to amend the existing law in the direction suggested?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralMy attention has been drawn to the resolution, the terms of which are correctly stated in the first paragraph. The question of any amendment of the existing law in this respect would have to be considered in relation to the application of the law to the United Kingdom generally.