HC Deb 21 December 1937 vol 330 cc1752-4
12. Mr. McGovern

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any inquiry was made from prisoners as to the assault on Francis Healy at Barlinnie prison on 10th September, 1937; the names of prisoners to whom inquiries were made; and the number of prisoners who complained about the treatment of Francis Healy?

Mr. Elliot

On 11th September 12 prisoners addressed representations to me. As the hon. Member is aware, these representations are not made through the Governor, who is therefore unaware of their contents. The Governor merely supplies on demand the form on which any complaint is made and transmits it in a sealed envelope not subject to any scrutiny by himself or any other of the prison authorities direct to the Secretary of State. No representations about this case were made to the Governor himself. The representations to me were carefully considered at the time, but as none of the prisoners who made these representations had been eye-witnesses of the struggle in the cell, and as the facts of the case were fully reported on by the authorities concerned, it was not considered necessary to make further inquiries from the prisoners. A member of the Prison Visiting Committee visited the prison on 22nd September when any prisoner had a further opportunity of making representations. On that occasion one prisoner did so. The member of the visiting committee decided that no action was necessary. I am at present reviewing the whole circumstances of the case, and if the hon. Member will put down a question for Thursday, I hope to be in a position then to give a detailed statement.

Mr. McGovern

Am I to take it that when he said there were 13 people who complained about the treatment of this man, one of them claimed to have seen it, and the other 12 complained about the cries of distress of this man during the period of beating?

Mr. Elliot

I shall be in a position to make a detailed statement on Thursday, but no prisoner claimed to have seen the struggle.

13. Mr. McGovern

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the names, ages, and length of service of the warders who assaulted Francis Healy at Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow, on 10th September, 1937?

Mr. Elliot

Prisoner Francis Healy was not assaulted by warders, although, as I have already stated, he and one of the warders unavoidably received injuries in course of the entry to his cell and his forcible subsequent removal and search. The ages of the warders in question are 54, 46, 44, and 30, and their years of service are 29, 12, 7 and 2½ respectively. These warders were assisted for a short time by a fifth warder aged 44 with 13 years' service.

Mr. McGovern

If in the original statement there were only four warders, when I claimed that there were six, how does it come about that now the Secretary of State says that there were five warders?

Mr. Elliot

As I have said, I hope to make a detailed statement on Thursday, but the hon. Gentleman will see from my statement here that there were four warders and that for a short time they were assisted by a fifth.