HC Deb 01 February 1945 vol 407 c1618
34. Mr. Astor

asked, the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he now proposes to publish a Report of the Prison Commissioners dealing with their activities since 1939.

Mr. H. Morrison

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 30th January to my hon. Friend the Junior Member for the English Universities (Mr. E. Harvey).

Mr. Astor

In view of the fact that there is ample paper now available—so says the Minister of Information—and as there are printing facilities in His Majesty's Prisons, cannot my right hon. Friend try to get this report out?

Mr. Morrison

I do not know about paper supplies, but with regard to printing facilities I can assure my hon. Friend that there is very great difficulty about them, as I have good reason to know.

Mr. Edmund Harvey

Cannot my right hon. Friend, pending the issue of a fuller report, issue a brief summary of only three or four pages giving the essential statistics?

Mr. Morrison

I will consider that, but I am not sure whether it would be regarded as desirable. We are really in great difficulties about printing and must be careful about what we print.