§ 89. Mr. GILBERTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the number of prisons in the Metropolitan Police Area; where they are situated; the number of prisoners each prison has accommodation for; and if these prisons are reserved only for prisoners in the Metropolitan Area, or if they are used for all parts of the United Kingdom?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)There are five prisons in the Metropolitan Police District. Four are for men, namely:—Brixton, having accommodation for 740 prisoners; Pentonville, for 1,181 prisoners; Wandsworth, for 1,380 prisoners; and Wormwood Scrubs, for 1,422 prisoners.
Women are sent to Holloway Prison, which has accommodation for 972 prisoners.
These prisons are used ordinarily for prisoners from London and the Home Counties, but they are available, when necessary, for prisoners from all parts of the country.
§ 90. Mr. GILBERTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the present scale of salaries for prison warders and head warders; what are the conditions and qualifications for the service, and if ex-service men have any preference for employment; and will he state if the service is full up, or if there are any vacancies?
§ Mr. SHORTTI will send the hon. Member details of the scales of pay. Candidates must be between 24 and 42 years of age, of good health and character and not less than 5 feet 7 inches in height. Preference is given to those candidates who have held commissioned or non-commissioned rank in the Navy or Army, or have some knowledge of a useful trade. At the present time selections for appointment are confined to men who have been in the Navy or Army. There is a long list of highly qualified candidates for the comparatively few vacancies that occur.