§ 65. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the name of the medical officer at Frongoch Camp who refused to give the necessary professional attendance to one of the untried Irish prisoners there whose knee was dislocated by a fall on snow, except under a condition having no relevance to the injury or to the medical officer; whether this doctor is being retained in the public service; and whether his conduct has been or will be reported to the British Medical Association?
§ Sir G. CAVEI am informed that there has been no such case. One man injured his knee; and he, although refusing to give his name and number, was admitted to hospital, treated, and cured.
§ 66. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to say how many of the untried Irish prisoners at Frongoch are to be released before Christmas; whether 1438 they will comprise all who suffer from lung trouble or other infectious disease contracted there, and all youths under twenty years of age; whether any of the Irish political prisoners sentenced to penal servitude by secret court-martial will be released on this occasion; whether all of them still retained will be given any amelioration of their condition; and whether those of them accustomed to literary work will be left wholly free to pursue such work having no relation to politics, and allowed to receive such books and material as they may require for their purposes?
§ Sir G. CAVEWith regard to the release of the Irish prisoners at Frongoch, I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 15th December to the hon. Member for Dublin Harbour. No lung trouble or other infectious diseases have been contracted at the camp. With regard to the Irish prisoners sentenced to penal servitude, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my predecessor on the 14th November in answer to a question by the hon. Member for North Galway. Prisoners in perial servitude accustomed to literary work will be supplied with note books and will be permitted to receive any books of a non-political character which they may require, subject, of course, to their good conduct in prison.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say what amelioration as to punishment is to be extended to the Countess Markievicz for Christmas, in view of the fact that there are two Irish ladies interned there with whom she would associate, but there are no other women except thieves and prostitutes?
§ Sir G. CAVEI am afraid that I cannot accept the last statement. I have already answered other questions as to this, and I cannot add to any statement I have made.
§ 69. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the case of J. Wilson, tried by field general court-martial held in camera in Dublin on 4th May, 1916, on the two charges of taking part in the insurrection and of attempting to cause disaffection; whether the prisoner was acquitted on the second charge, and convicted on the first charge and sentenced to two year's imprisonment with hard 1439 labour, but recommended to mercy on account of his youth; whether he is aware that the prisoner was then only seventeen year of age; whether he is aware that General Maxwell confirmed the sentence, ignoring the recommendation to mercy; if he will state under which Sections of the Defence of the Realm Regulations the two charges were laid in this case; and whether the remainder of the sentence will now be commuted?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONInquiries are being made in this case.
§ Mr. GINNELLIn view of the fact that this man has been seven months in prison, why do the inquiries take so long? I will repeat this question to-morrow.
§ 74. Mr. GINNELLasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the evidence at a recent court-martial on untried Irish prisoners at Frongoch; that the commandant declared that if he had nothing in the camp but dead bodies he would maintain discipline there, and to the evidence that what the commandant means by discipline is that untried prisoners must betray their comrades; whether the Government sanctions this discipline and this method of enforcing it on untried prisoners; and, if not, what action is to be taken in the matter?
§ Sir G. CAVEMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question, and I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for the Harbour Division on 14th December. My inquiries into the conditions at Frongoch are not yet completed, and I hope I may be allowed to postpone my full answer to this question until they are complete.