§ 60. Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the number of police employed during the past three months in protecting militant suffragists, male and female, who have been publicly advocating and encouraging breaches of the law, and the amount of public money expended in so doing; and if there is any means whereby the money so spent can be recovered?
§ Mr. McKENNANo police officers in the Metropolitan police district have been specially employed to protect militant suffragists; but where protection has at any time appeared to be needed—as for instance at some recent outdoor public meetings—the necessary steps have been taken by the police present in the ordinary discharge of their duty. It would be impossible to distinguish in this matter between suffragists who are "militants" and others, or to estimate the cost entailed on the public by attendance at suffragist meetings.
§ 62. Mr. NORMAN CRAIGasked the Home Secretary by what authority he is enabled to direct the release of a prisoner under remand under conditions which permit of the prisoner being rearrested for the same offence?
§ Mr. McKENNAIn ordinary circumstances, only the magistrates who have power to grant bail or the High Court have any authority to release a prisoner under remand; but in exceptional circumstances, where life depends on immediate release and there is no time for snaking application to the magistrates, it may be the duty of the Home Secretary to authorise a prisoner's removal from prison to home or hospital.
§ 63. Mr. NORMAN CRAIGasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many instances to date he has ordered the release of persons convicted of offences in purported furtherance of the Women Suffrage movement before the expiration of the term of imprisonment to which they were respectively sentenced; and whether in any, and, if so, in how many instances the persons so released have subsequently been convicted again?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have only had time to ascertain the figures for Holloway Prison, but these include the great majority of such cases. Since the beginning of last year the number released from Holloway before they were due for discharge in ordinary course was fifty-five. Of this number eight are known to have been subsequently reconvicted.