HC Deb 21 March 1898 vol 55 cc387-8
MR. B. C. MOLLOY (King's Co., Birr)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what authority the Rev. G. Merrick, Inspector of Prisons, lately ordered at Wandsworth Prison the hymn-books served out to Roman Catholic prisoners to be taken away from them; and whether it is in accordance with prison law for the Protestant clergyman to interfere in these matters with Roman Catholic prisoners?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir M. W. RIDLEY,) Lancashire, N., Blackpool

It lately came to the notice of the Visiting Chaplain that the devotional books authorised for Roman Catholics were not being distributed at Wandsworth, and that other books which had not been so authorised were being distributed instead. The authorised books, five in number, were settled after consultation with the authorities of that Church, who approved them as suitable, good, and sufficient; and the Commissioners gave orders that only those books which had been so approved should be in use. There was no intention of interfering in such a matter with Roman Catholic prisoners.