HC Deb 02 October 1924 vol 177 cc293-4
13. Mr. LAMB

asked the Home Secretary whether official daily bulletins are issued as to the physical, mental and spiritual condition of convicted murderers awaiting execution; and, if not, whether he has taken any steps to ascertain the source of such bulletins that have recently been published?

Mr. DAVIES

My attention has been called to bulletins or reports of this kind which have recently appeared in news papers. They certainly have not been communicated by the prison authorities. The reports themselves have been utterly devoid of truth, and seem either to have been invented by the writers, or to have been based upon false statements made to them by discharged prisoners or others professing to be able to supply information.

Mr. LAMB

Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to see that a repetition does not take place of the unfortunate reports which were issued only recently?

Mr. DAVIES

I have already said it is very difficult to control the imagination of journalists.

Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY

Will my hon. Friend consider a test prosecution of one of these journals, instead of prosecuting journals for their political opinions?

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