§ MR. LEA (St. Pancras, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the increase in the number of prisoners committed to military prisons at home and abroad (excluding India), as shown on page 8 of [Cd. 2699] the Report on Military Prisons, 1905; and if he will explain this increase, seeing that the number of committals has gone up from 11,414 in 1901, when the average Army strength at home and abroad (excluding India) was 335,910 to 19,461 in 1905, when the average strength was only 188,570.
§ MR. HALDANEThe strength given in 1901 included the mobilised reserve and auxiliary forces. In that year the troops in South Africa were on active service and offences committed there were as a rule dealt with by field imprisonment and not by committal to military prisons. No comparison therefore between the figures for 1901 and 1905 can properly be made.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is not entitled to make a speech.
§ MR. HALDANEasked for notice.