§ Mr. FREEMANasked the Home Secretary how many men and women were committed to prison for failure to pay debts during the last known year; whether he has any information indicating how many were incapable of paying or pleaded incapacity; and the average period of imprisonment and the average cost to the State per day for each person?
§ Mr. CLYNESAs regards the first part of the question, I would refer to the answer given on 22nd January last to my hon. Friend the Member for the Lichfield Division of Staffordshire (Mr. Lovat-Fraser); the information that would be required to answer the second and third parts of the question is not available; as regards the fourth and last part, the maintenance costs of debtors are not distinguishable from those of ordinary prisoners. The average net daily cost to the Prison Vote of a prisoner of any kind in a local prison in respect of the year ended 31st March, 1930, was 2s. 8d.