§ 67. Sir W. Davisonasked the Home Secretary whether, in connection with the action already taken by him and the resolutions which have just been passed by the Newspaper Society, the Press Association, and Reuters deprecating Press intrusion into private griefs and private affairs, he will also draw the attention of these bodies to the unfair treatment by the Press of persons on their release from prison, often after serving a prolonged term of years, by reason of their photographs reappearing in the Press with a résumé of the crime for which they were sentenced whereby they are seriously prejudiced in making a fresh start in life?
§ Mr. LloydMy right hon. Friend deprecates the unnecessary publicity which is often given to the circumstances of a prisoner's offence when the time comes for him to be released, but such cases stand on an entirely different footing from those which have been the subject of recent comment. If a prisoner wishes to avoid publicity, every endeavour is made to arrange for his discharge in such a way 847 as to help him to do so, but experience suggests that publicity is not always unwelcome to the prisoner himself and in some cases not altogether unremunerative.