§ SIR CHARLES CAMERONI beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been called to the statement recently made by Dr. Naismith, at the meeting of the Ayr Town Council, that in consequence of the insufficient search of female prisoners confined in the police cells in that town, necessitated by the absence of any female warder, various cases had occurred in which women who had passed the night in those cells were found, when subsequently taken to prison, to have whisky bottles in their possession; and whether, considering the danger which may arise to suicidal or homicidal prisoners from this inadequate search, and the indecency of leaving drunk and in many cases ailing females to the sole care of male warders, he would urge upon the police authorities of the larger towns in Scotland the propriety of providing a female warder and searcher at their police offices.
§ * MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYI am informed by the Chief Constable of Ayr that he has had no complaints from the Governor of Ayr Prison, as to bottles of whisky being found on prisoners sent from the Ayr Police Station. He thinks, however, that, in spite of the vigilance of the police officers in charge, who are steady, reliable men, it is possible that whisky bottles may occasionally be handed to prisoners by their friends on their way through the public streets from the police cells to the Court House. He also states that a female is employed at the Police Office, for the purpose of cleaning cells and offices, searching and attending to any female prisoners in custody, and her residence being opposite to the police office she attends when called day or night. The police surgeon is also in attendance when summoned by the police, either by day or night. The Secretary for Scotland is making further inquiry.