§ 23. Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Depart- 1860 ment whether he is aware that since the introduction of the new Regulations in. April last with respect to oakum picking in His Majesty's prisons, the punishments to prisoners for failing to perform their allotted tasks are much more numerous will he state the total number of punishments that have been inflicted for oakum picking during the six months from May to October last; and the total number of punishments covering the same period for 1911 for the purpose of comparison?
§ 30. Mr. WILLIAM THORNEalso asked the number of prisoners who have been punished during the past twelve months in the various prisons in the United Kingdom for failing to perform their allotted task of oakum picking?
§ Mr. ELLIS GRIFFITHThe only new Regulation with regard to oakum picking has been a reduction of the task from three to 2½ pounds, with an allowance according to the condition of the junk, accompanied by an intimation that the performance of the task so reduced will be strictly enforced. There has been a rise-in the number of punishments for idleness at oakum picking since this change, the numbers punished during the last six months rising to 11,555, as against 6,500 for the previous six months. It is believed, however, that this increase is only temporary, since the number reported for idleness is declining now that the prisoners clearly understand that the daily task, which is well within their capacity, will be exacted or marks will be forfeited.