37. Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Home Secretary whether any and, if any, what principle is applied to the differential treatment of suffragist prisoners, several of whom have been released within a few days of being sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, whilst Miss Rachel Peace, alias Short, who was sentenced on 15th November to eighteen months' hard labour for a similar offence, was forcibly fed in November, December, and January, and is still undergoing sentence?
§ Mr. McKENNASince the passing of the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-health) Act, the general rule has been to release under the Act those prisoners who have refused food to the point of endangering their health, if the offences were of a minor character, or if they were not likely to repeat their offences while at large; but, in accordance with my definite statement in the Debate on the Second Reading of the Bill, I have not released under the Act persons who were guilty of arson, or other serious outrages, and whose fixed determination to repeat such crimes rendered them a danger to the community. It is true that in one case where a prisoner was able to reject all the food given her, and in another case which was complicated by appendicitis, I have found it necessary to use the Act in the case even of determined criminals; but there was no such exceptional necessity in Rachel Peace's case. She had been guilty of arson, and her demeanour before the justices and at her trial showed that she was prepared to repeat her offence; and I have therefore been unable to release her. If she will promise not to commit further crimes, I should be glad to advise the remission of her sentence.
38. Mr. CHANCELLORasked why Miss Rachael Peace, alias Short, was forcibly fed on remand before trial, and whilst, therefore, presumed to be innocent in the eye of the law of the offence with which she was charged?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe justices had refused to admit this prisoner to bail, as they had reason to believe that if at liberty she would commit offences similar to that with which she was charged. For the same reason I should not have been justified, unless it were absolutely necessary to save her life, in ordering her release, under the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-health) Act.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILMay the House be quite assured that there has been no differential treatment of any of these prisoners arising from social position or anything of that kind?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes, most certainly. I have proceeded in every case upon the principles which I have definitely stated in this House.