§ 24. Mr. BENSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what 636 is the proportion of prisoners whose sentences expired between 1918 and 1925 and upon whom the cat was inflicted who have subsequently returned to prison?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Clynes)I regret that I cannot supply this information. In the prison statistics there are no separate figures of men who have at some time before their admission to prison received corporal punishment.
§ Mr. BENSONWould it not be worth while to obtain these special statistics in future?
§ Mr. CLYNESI will consider that point, but I know that there are real difficulties in the way.
§ 28. Mr. BENSONasked the Home Secretary the number of cases during the past 10 years in which the cat has been inflicted for offences under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1912?
§ Mr. CLYNESIn the 10 years ended 31st December, 1928, the cat was ordered in five cases. In five other cases the birch was ordered.