§ MR. WEDGWOODI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will direct that in future no sentence of imprisonment passed by a Court of summary jurisdiction on persons under sixteen years of age, in default of payment of a fine, shall be carried into effect until it has been confirmed by the Home Office.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.)Such a direction would have no legal effect; neither the Crown nor any Minister of the Crown has any power to suspend the operation 403 of the ordinary machinery of the law in the manner suggested by my hon. friend.
§ MR. WEDGWOODI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will cause a monthly Return to be made to him of all persons under sixteen years of age who are committed to any prison in England or Wales by Courts of summary jurisdiction; whether such Return may show the offence, the Court at which the sentence was passed, the age and sex of the person committed, and whether the commitment was or was not in default of payment of a fine; and whether such Return may be published.
§ MR. GLADSTONENo, Sir. I am afraid I cannot undertake to call for such a Return. It would be misleading unless, in each case, it gave not only a full account of the offence, but an exact statement of the prisoner's character, his previous convictions and the circumstances which in the opinion of the Court made the sentence of imprisonment necessary. The officers of the prisons could not give these particulars.
§ MR. WEDGWOODHas the right hon. Gentleman any reason to suppose that some Courts are in the habit of dealing more severely with these cases than others? Would not a Return be useful in showing that?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have no reason to suppose that. I shall be glad to consider any facts that may be brought to my notice.