§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what modifications, if any, have been made in the treatment of the ladies now undergoing terms of imprisonment for offences in connection with the women suffrage agitation as compared with the treatment to which ladies undergoing imprisonment for such offences on former occasions have been subjected; were these ladies, or any of them, as in the former cases, searched by female warders and divested of all clothing during that search; are they kept in solitude for twenty-three hours out of the twenty-four, and is the twenty-fourth hour of recreation allocated half to attendance in chapel and half to exercise in the prison yard; have they, or any of them, been compelled to wear prison garb, and has this prison dress in any cases been previously worn by the ordinary class of women convicts, the dress being in actual contact with the skin; are 916 they permitted to send or to receive letters or to be visited, and are they supplied with books, and, if so, at what time are they permitted to read them; and whether, having regard to the intimation that consideration would be given to the question whether the prison conditions would be relaxed or modified in cases in which the offence did not fall within the category of ordinary crimes, he will now state what steps, if any, have been taken to lighten the severity of the prison regime in the case of these ladies.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) Certain changes have been made at Holloway for all female prisoners in the second division, and are now in operation. They are briefly as follows: (a) A chair with a back has been placed in each cell instead of the stool usually provided; (b) Warm water for washing is supplied to those who desire it, with the medical officer's permission; (c) Visits are now received in a special room and not in the usual visiting box; (d) Work is carried on in association; (e) Books are allowed to be changed more frequently. With regard to the suffragist prisoners in particular, the reply to the Question is as follows: They were all searched on reception, but were not divested of all clothing during that search. They are not kept in solitude for twenty-three hours out of the twenty-four. They go to chapel for about twenty-five minutes every week-day, and about two and three-quarter hours on Sunday. They are occupied about five hours daily at associated labour, and they take exercise for one full hour every day. They wear the prison dress of the second division, which is of a different colour from that worn by other prisoners. In every case the underclothing has been new, while the outer clothing, if not absolutely new, has been previously worn only by suffragist prisoners. They are allowed letters and visits in accordance with the rules for second division prisoners, namely, to receive one visit in each month, and to write and receive one letter in each month, but special letters and visits are permitted if any emergency arises. They have a liberal supply of books, and are allowed to read them at any time during 917 the day, or evening up to eight o'clock, when they are not engaged in work.