§ Mr. KERR-SMILEYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he would state the number of persons imprisoned in England in the year 1905 for refusal to pay the Education Rate, and the number imprisoned for refusal to pay the same rate in the year 1909; and would he state if any alteration in the law had taken place between these two dates?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is impossible to give this information as there is no legal distinction between persons who go to prison in default of paying a rate levied for education purposes and other rate defaulters. The hon. Member is, no doubt, familiar with the history of the attempts made by the present Government to remedy the Nonconformist grievance by legislation.