§ Colonel ASHLEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, in view of the fact that in the middle of April 66 hunger strikers were released from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, of whom more than half had been convicted of various seditious and treasonable crimes, and the release of these convicted prisoners was alleged to have arisen from muddled orders, whether any individual, or individuals, convicted and sentenced for offences in Ireland who have gone on hunger strike, whether imprisoned in England or Ireland, have been released since that date; and, if so, how many, and what were the offences of which they were found guilty?
§ Mr. HENRYSince the middle of April last sixteen prisoners on hunger strike who were convicted by Court Martial of offences under the Defence of the Realm Regulations have been released. Five of them who had been on hunger strike before that date, and whose cases were similar to those of prisoners previously released, were released on verbal parole. The remaining eleven were released under the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act, 1913, and are, of course, subject to re-arrest. No one imprisoned in England for an offence in respect of which he has been convicted and sentenced in Ireland, has been released since the middle of April.