§ 46. Mr. BYRNEasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that letters from Irish prisoners sentenced to terms of penal servitude are being unreasonably censored, in many cases two-thirds of the latter being completely blotted out; if he will say if this is to continue; and, if so, what means prisoners will have to let their friends know their condition?
§ The SECRETARY OF STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The censorship of these letters has been carried out in accordance with the Regulations, and has not been unreasonably exercised. I am informed that in no case has deletion 379 amounted to two-thirds of a letter; the deletions were considerable in only eight cases out of a total of 475 letters. No hindrance is placed in the way of prisoners informing their friends as to their condition.