§ CAPTAIN GREVILLE) (Bradford, E.To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the sentence imposed upon Mrs. Penruddocke, convicted of cruelty to one of her children at the recent sessions at the Central Criminal Court, by which a fine was inflicted for aggravated cruelty; and whether, in view of the fact that sentences of imprisonment are sometimes awarded in cases of cruelty to children, he proposes to introduce legislation which would secure uniformity of punishment in such cases.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Akers-Douglas.) Detailed answers were given to somewhat similar Questions yesterday. I would only add that legislation to secure uniformity of punishment in all cases is as impossible as it would be undesirable. The punishment must obviously vary according to the circumstance of each case as they present themselves to the Court. Statues can only define the limits within which the variation may take place.
§ MR. HOGG (Sussex, Eastbourne)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the verdict of the jury in the Penruddocke case and the censure passed on Mr. Penruddocke, his name will be allowed to remain on the rota of justices of the peace; and whether he will consider the 613 advisability of proposing a change in the law to prevent the possibility of cruelty being inflicted on young children without imprisonment.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Akers-Douglas.) In answer to the first paragraph I must repeat my answer of yesterday to the effect that it is not proposed to remove the name of the gentleman in question from the Commission of the Peace. As regards the second paragraph, I think it must be obvious that no such hard and fast rule for assigning the punishment without regard to the circumstances of the case would be admissible.