§ MR. CLAUDE HAYTo ask the Secretary of State for War, if he will state what steps are being taken to reconsider the sentences of soldiers undergoing imprisonment in military prisons for military offences, having regard to the fact that a recent visit of the Commander in Chief to Dover Military Prison brought about the liberation of soldiers undergoing sentences in that prison.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) The sentences of all military prisoners sent home from South Africa have been carefully reviewed from time to time, and considerable remissions granted in eases where they could be made with a due regard to the interests of discipline. In particular all sentences of penal servitude have been investigated, and in every case where possible have been commuted to a term of imprisonment so as to avoid the committal of the prisoners to civil prisons. Instructions were recently issued to General Officers Commanding, directing them to review the cases of all military prisoners from South Africa in the military prisons in their command, and to 215 grant such remissions as they might consider desirable. As regards other military prisoners the remission of sentences is left to the discretion of confirming officers. If any sentence seems to the Judge Advocate General to be unnecessarily severe he brings the case to the notice of the Commander-in-Chief.