§ Mr. HUTCHISONasked the Home Secretary the scope of the investigations to be conducted by his Department into the imprisonment for non-payment of fines and for arrears under orders of the courts; and whether he will consider the question of imprisonment for debt and 381W commitments made by the county courts; and, if not, what is the reason for the differentiation of policy?
Mr. STANLEYThe committee of inquiry which my right hon. Friend is arranging to appoint will be concerned with the subject of imprisonments ordered by courts of summary jurisdiction for non-payment of fines, of rates and of sums due under wife maintenance and affiliation orders. This subject is quite distinct from the subject of committals by county courts for non-payment of debts; and the law, procedure and general considerations affecting the police court cases are so different from those affecting the county court cases that it would be inexpedient to bring these two separate problems within the purview of one committee of investigation.