§ Mr. CHARLES PRICEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Prison Commissioners for Scotland for the last and previous years as to the number of commitments to prison for the first time, wherein it reports that sufficient use is not made of alternatives to imprisonment in dealing with offenders who have hitherto not been in prison; and whether he will by circular call the attention of magistrates and judges to the necessity of giving prisoners the benefit of recent Acts of Parliament in favour of other alternatives to imprisonment for the first time?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI propose to take an early opportunity of issuing a recommendation such as my hon. Friend desires.