HL Deb 19 June 1963 vol 250 cc1296-8

3.39 p.m.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (EARL JELLICOE)

My Lords, with your permission, I should like to bring to your Lordships' notice an Answer which my right honourable friend the Home Secretary made to-day in another place in reply to a Question asking whether he will publish the Report of the inquiry by the visiting committee into Mr. Cronkshaw's allegations of ill-treatment of prisoners at Durham Prison. I will use my right honourable friend's own words:

" Yes, Sir, and copies will be available to honourable Members in the Vote Office this afternoon. Mr. Cronkshaw, a former prisoner, made 11 allegations of ill-treatment of other prisoners at Durham while he was there. The visiting committee find that 8 of these allegations were without foundation of any kind. Of the remaining 3, they report that one involved a conflict of evidence but, even if true, was not of a serious nature; that one disclosed a defect in prison routine, which is being looked into, but no negligence or irregularity on the part of the officers concerned; and that one, which also involved a conflict of evidence, left the committee with grave suspicion that two officers might have been guilty, if not of an assault on a prisoner, at least of using more force than the circumstances warranted, although no complaint was made by the prisoner concerned or anyone else at the time.

" The visiting committee themselves reported that they could not regard the facts as having been proved, but I nevertheless thought it right that the papers be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. His conclusion is that the evidence is clearly insufficient to support a prosecution of the two officers.

" Many of Mr. Cronkshaw's allegations included criticism of the prison medical service. The visiting committee find that none of these criticisms has been substantiated, and that no blame of any kind attaches to the prison medical service.

" Honourable Members will wish to read for themselves the comments in the report on the value to be attached to Mr. Cronkshaw's allegations generally. I cannot but regret the wide publicity that was given to them as soon as they were made and before their authenticity had been investigated. It inflicted harm on the reputation and morale of the prison service which the publication of the report, based on thorough investigation, should certainly dispel."

That is the end of my right honourable friend's statement.

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

MyLords, I am sure we are all grateful to the noble Earl for making that statement, and that we shall wish to follow the advice that he has given us, to read the Report for ourselves before attempting any comment. I am sure that if in fact the prison officers have been vindicated to the extent suggested here, we shall all be very happy. Those of us who are interested in penal reform must be careful to approach these matters from the point of view that the prison staff are innocent until they are convicted of some offence. We also realise that they live a life of great strain, and that none of them is infallible or perfect.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I should like to express my gratitude for the tone of the statement which the noble Earl has just made. In endorsing what he has said about the prison officers, I wish (jumping the gun, perhaps, just a little) to quote a sentence from the Report, which is now available to your Lordships. It appears on page 29 of the Report, where the Committee state, in speaking of the Governor of Durham Prison: We are satisfied that his administration is just and humane, and that he is supported by a staff who almost without exception are of the same high standard ".

THE EARL OF ONSLOW

My Lords, could the noble Earl give us any background to this gentleman Mr. Cronkshaw?

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I have recently learned that Mr. Cronkshaw is in fact due to appear to-day before the Blackpool magistrates' court on a charge of forgery, and in view of that, and since this case is, as it were sub judice, I think it would be wrong for me to give any details of his previous record.