§ SIR IVOR HERBERT (Monmouthshire, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the sentence of fifty-six days imprisonment, with hard labour, recently awarded by a court martial at Brecon on No. 10,290, Private Alfred Wiltshire, South Wales Borderers, for an alleged theft of 1s., which punishment is being carried out in a civil prison; and whether, seeing that Private; Wiltshire is a young soldier of good character and with no previous convictions against him, and that the expressed policy of the Government is to withdraw soldiers convicted under the Army Act from contact with criminals in the civil gaols, 1771 he will consider the advisability of revising the sentence in question with a view to a reasonable punishment being carried out in a detention barrack.
§ MR. HALDANEThis man pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing money from his comrades. As this offence is one against the civil law he has been sent to a civil prison from which he will not return to the Army. Detention barracks are intended for the confinement of soldiers convicted of purely military offences who will ultimately return to the ranks.
§ SIR IVOR HERBERTDoes the right hon. Gentleman adhere to the statement made in this House that offences against the civil power shall be dealt with by the civil instead of by the military authorities?
§ MR. HALDANEwas understood to reply in the affirmative.