§ Mr. HUDSONasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that the officers in His Majesty's prison service who are temporarily employed at other prisons owing to the War, when allowed leave to visit their homes, have the days which are 1877W absorbed in the journey to and from deducted from the leave allowed; if he will take steps to regulate their leave allowances so as not to include the time occupied in travelling to and from their homes; and if more adequate facilities can be given to keep them in touch with their homes?
§ Sir G. CAVEOwing to the release of so many prison officers for Army service, the prison staff has been much depleted, and officers have been transferred to stations where their services were most required. The difficulty of finding housing accommodation has frequently prevented their wives and families from joining them, and in order to enable the officers to visit their families the authority of the Treasury was obtained for issuing a return railway warrant every two months. The time thus spent, including the time spent in travelling, is counted against their annual leave, but governors have been given a discretion to grant additional special leave where the exigencies of the service will permit.