Mrs. Patonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners there are in Holloway Prison to each officer; how many Borstal girls to each officer at Aylesbury; what were the corresponding figures in 1938; whether he is satisfied with these figures; how many of the officers at Aylesbury have had less than six months' service; how many of them have been recruited from the women's services; what standard of education is required in a recruit; what theoretical or practical training is given and by whom; how many officers on probation have resigned or have not had their appointment confirmed; and what steps he has taken to obtain trained staff through the various university departments for training social workers.
§ Mr. EdeA good deal of research will be necessary to produce this information and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about a distur- 1494W bance which occurred on Thursday 13th December, at Aylesbury Borstal Institution.
§ Mr. EdeThe report published in a London morning newspaper that on Thursday last there was a serious out-burst of rioting at the Women's Borstal Institution in Aylesbury, that relief officers were rushed from Holloway Prison, that the Governor had reported to the authorities that the staff could no longer deal with the situation and a number of officers had tendered their resignations is entirely false. No such disturbance took place. I ask the Press to be on its guard against the dissemination of unfounded or exaggerated reports of incidents in prisons and Borstal Institutions.