§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the Home Secretary whether he has received a Resolution from the Plymouth and District Trades and Labour Council protesting against the continued incarceration of the 200 persons convicted for various offences arising out of the national stoppage of 1926, and calling upon His Majesty's Government to arrange for their immediate release, particularly in the case of women and of those with a large number of dependants; and what action he proposes to take?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSYes, Sir. I have received the Resolution, which embodies an inaccurate statement of facts, and is in other respects entirely misconceived. The persons in question who now number only 31, all men, have been tried according to law and have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for which the Courts and not the Government are responsible. Such resolutions of protest only render more difficult the exercise of clemency in suitable cases as they conduce to widespread misapprehension. I propose, however, to continue my practice of reviewing these cases at intervals, and where I find it consistent with my duty to advise the exercise of the prerogative of mercy I shall be glad to do so, though Resolutions of this character do not help me.