§ 33. Mr. MALCOLM MacMILLANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is prepared to place in the Library any reports or excerpts of reports furnished him in recent years by the medical officers responsible for the health of prisoners in Scottish gaols, showing the improvements in physique and health observed in the prisoners as a result of the superior dietary in the prisons over the dietary obtainable by the working classes outside the prison?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI would refer the hon. Member to the annual reports of the Prisons Department for Scotland already in the Library which contain the only general reports by the Medical Adviser on 214 the health of the prison population. Improvement of the health of prisoners depends not only upon the provision of a simple well balanced dietary but also upon factors such as regularity of work, exercise, and meal times.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the overwhelming evidence that diet even on a prison basis which is given in Scotland so improves the health and physique of inmates that it is clear evidence of under-nutrition of the population outside?
§ Sir G. COLLINSNo doubt there are numerous cases in which the health of prisoners has improved, but it is due to several factors, some of which I have mentioned in my reply to the question.
§ 34. Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the cost of the diet supplied in prisons in Scotland to criminal lunatics averaged 8½d. per diem wholesale during the year 1935 and that, if to this figure were added retail charges; the total retail cost of the food would be at least 1s. per diem; and how this figure for food contrasts with the allowances for food estimated as essential for healthy existence by the working classes by the medical officers of his Department?
§ Sir G. COLLINSThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the medical officers of Departments under my control have formulated no estimate of the kind to which the right hon. Member refers.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that merely to give the wholesale price of food gives us no basis of comparison, and can he not give us a statement of what the retail price of that particular food would be?
§ Sir G. COLLINSThe right hon. Gentleman will note that in the first part of my answer I stated definitely that the reply to the question is in the affirmative. I have no knowledge as to the exact retail prices of the particular commodities, but I have answered him very clearly in the affirmative.