§ Mr. McGovernasked the Home Secretary the number of conscientious objectors, now in English prisons, who have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment by courts-martial, and those sentenced by the courts for failing to present themselves for medical examination; and the periods of sentence and respective prisons where they are detained?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonConscientious objection is not a criminal offence and no one can be imprisoned on account of it. Thirty-eight men called up for military service are at present undergoing sentences of imprisonment imposed by courts martial for offences claimed to have been committed by reason of conscientious objection and 372 men are serving sentences of imprisonment imposed by civil courts for failing to present themselves for medical examination under the National Serivce Acts. The warrants issued by the courts in these cases do not indicate whether the offences were alleged to have been committed on conscientious grounds, although in most of the cases the men concerned had appeared before a conscientious objectors' tribunal and had been refused registration in the register of conscientious objectors. Of the 38 men sentenced by courts martial eight 1509W have sentences of over one month and up to three months; 22 have sentences of over three months and up to six months; and eight have sentences of over six months and up to one year. There is one at Dorchester Prison, one at Exeter, five at Leeds, three at Liverpool, six at Manchester,
Prison. Total. Sentenced by Civil Courts for failing to present themselves for medical examination. Sentences. up to and including 14 days. Over 14 days and up to 1 month. Over 1 month and up to 3 and months. Over 3 months and up to 6 months. Over 6 months and up to 1 year. Bedford … … 6 — — 5 — 1 Birmingham … … 15 — 5 5 5 — Bristol … … 9 — — — 8 1 Brixton … … 2 — — — 2 — Cardiff … … 12 — — — 6 6 Chelmsford … … 1 — — — 1 — Dorchester … … 1 — — — 1 — Durham … … 1 — — — — 1 Exeter … … 14 — — 1 4 9 Feltham … … — — — — — — Gloucester … … 9 — — 2 7 — Leeds … … 11 — 1 7 1 2 Leicester … … 11 — — — 9 2 Lewes … … 10 — 1 — 9 — Lincoln … … 1 — — — — 1 Liverpool … … 7 — — 4 2 1 Maidstone … … 27 — — 2 9 16 Manchester … … 11 — — 13 4 4 Norwich … … — — — — — — Oxford … … 8 1 2 — 5 — Pentonville … … — — — — — — Shrewsbury … … 6 — — 3 — 3 Stafford … … 19 — — 1 16 2 Swansea … … 3 — — — 3 — Wakefield … … 79 — — — 34 45 Wandsworth … … 106 1 3 20 73 9 Winchester … … 3 — — 1 2 — Totals … 372 2 12 54 201 103