§ 2 and 5. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is now in a position to make a statement with regard to the circumstances attending the death of Mr. Reginald Russell, in Bedford Prison, on 23rd May;
(2) whether he is now in a position to make a statement with regard to the circumstances attending the death of Mr. Reginald Russell, in Bedford Prison, on 23rd May; what arrangements are made for removal to hospital of unconvicted prisoners who are seriously ill; what regulations exist for securing that the 517 relatives are informed of serious illness; and whether they were complied with in the present instance?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir William Joynson-Hicks)I will answer these questions together. I desire to thank the hon. Gentleman for his courtesy in postponing this question until I had received a full report into the circumstances attending the death of this prisoner. I regret to say that the report discloses errors of judgment and failure to comply with the regulations on the part of certain officials of the prison.
The prisoner complained of illness on the 27th April and the 10th May, and on the 11th May took to his bed until his death on the 23rd May. His disease was wrongly diagnosed, and he did not receive either the medical or nursing treatment which, in my opinion, he should have had; nor was he removed to hospital.
The prisoner was suffering from kidney disease, and it may be that his condition was such that his life could not in any event have been saved, but that would not, of course, excuse in any way the mistakes and irregularities that were committed.
The facts of this case, deplorable as they are, do not suggest that the regulations with regard to the treatment of illness in prison are defective, but, as in all human institutions, mistakes cannot always be avoided.
The Secretary of State is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the prison officials, and I have decided to take disciplinary measures in regard to the officers concerned. I am not in a position to give my final decision in regard to these to-day, but if the hon. Gentleman will put down a question for to-day week, I hope to have completed my decisions.
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEThere is one further point with which the right hon. Gentleman has not dealt, that is the question as to the relatives.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am afraid that in regard to that also the hon. Member is right. The prison regulations were not properly carried out.