§ Colonel YATEasked the Home Secretary whether, considering the fact that during the years 1909–10 and 1910–11 no leys than 1,620 men were convicted as incorrigible rogues under the Vagrancy Act, and that in the calendars of prisoners for these years only in ten cases were orders passed for the corporal punishment of these, men, and in two of those cases that punishment was remitted, he will now consider the question of putting a stop to further increase in the numbers of men whose sole profession is that of incorrigible rogues, either by the establishment of labour colonies for dealing with these men or else by much stricter infliction of the law regarding corporal punishment?
§ Mr. McKENNAIn the great majority of cases where offenders are committed to Quarter Sessions for punishment as incorrigible rogues corporal punishment would be quite inappropriate, and I am not prepared to advocate the application to such cases of the powers vested by law in Courts of Quarter Sessions; nor, in the present state of public business, do I see my way to propose legislation for the establishment of labour colonies.