§ 30. Mr. LANGasked the Home Secretary whether in view of the fact that for the three years 1926 to 1928, inclusive, 295 male and 43 female prisoners were certified as insane after their reception into prison as convicted persons, he will provide for the obligatory mental examination of all convicted persons before sentence?
§ Mr. CLYNESWherever there is reason for suspecting mental abnormality, it is certainly right that the Court should have a medical report before proceeding to conviction and sentence, and it is the duty of Prison Medical Officers to make such reports on prisoners committed for trial or remanded by Courts of Summary Jurisdiction to prison for medical observation. Figures are given by the Medical Commissioner in the Annual Reports of the Prison Commissioners showing how large a number of cases are so dealt with.