§ 1. Earl Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he wall order an official inquiry into the present methods of maintaining discipline in Borstal establishments in view of the representations on the subject made by the Prison Officers' Association.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Ede)I have recently received the report of a committee appointed for this purpose among others. The report is being published, but I am not yet in a position to add to the reply which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Osborne) on 7th June.
§ Earl WintertonDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean by that answer that the statement or suggestions made by the Association to which I referred in my Question have been considered by this committee?
§ Mr. EdeNo, Sir. The committee sat and compiled its report before this meeting was held. The report deals with the issues which were raised at the meeting.
§ Earl WintertonYes, but the point is that this very responsible body, which he and I know, having at different times had the honour of addressing it, has made some very serious charges about the state of discipline, and certain suggestions. 676 Will all that be taken into consideration before the right hon. Gentleman acts on the report of the committee?
§ Mr. EdeYes, Sir. May I say that, before making those statements in public, they made no representations to me about the matter? The Home Office are always willing to listen to their views on such a subject and it might have been better if they had approached me first, and then, if I had not heeded them, had made a statement in public.