§ 55 and 56. Mr. Bensonasked the Home Secretary (1) the number of whippings carried out in His Majesty's prisons for offences against prison discipline in 1938, and the nature of the instrument used;
(2) the number of sentences of corporal punishment imposed by the courts upon persons over 18 years of age during 1938; the number of such sentences carried out; the nature of the instrument used; and the offences for which the sentences were imposed?
Sir S. HoaresAs the answers include a number of figures, I will circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the information:
§ There were five cases of corporal punishment inflicted in His Majesty's prisons for offences against prison discipline in 1938—with the birch in three cases, and with the cat o' nine tails in two cases. During 1938, the number of sentences of corporal punishment passed by the courts on persons over the age of 18 was 15, of which 14 were carried out, the remaining sentence having been remitted. The birch was used in eight cases, and the cat o' nine tails in six cases. The offences were robbery with violence in 12 cases and armed robbery in three cases.