§ Mr. HUDSONasked whether the Home Secretary is aware of the dissatisfaction existing throughout His Majesty's prison service in consequence of the fact that the Prison Commissioners, in their circular of 29th February last, announce that they are unable to grant an increase of pay to warders in response to their petitions, more especially as the police throughout the country have received a rise of wages owing to the increased cost of living; and whether, seeing that the pay of prison warders has remained stationary for many years past he will reconsider the matter?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have no reason to any such dissatisfaction in the prison service as the hon. Member suggests. On the contrary, I understand that the important concessions which have just been made in the way of shorter hours and relief from night duty are much appreciated by the staff. I should have been glad, and so would the Prison Commissioners, if a case could have been made which would have justified the grant of a general increase of pay; but the pay and allowances in the prison service are already liberal, the allowance in lieu of quarters has been raised progressively in recent years to meet the increased cost of living, and only two years ago the maximum pay of warders and principal warders was increased, while junior officers were given automatic promotion after eight years' service to a higher scale of pay and increment.