§ Mr. Edeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for amending the Borstal rules in order to implement the recommendation of the Departmental Committee on Punishment in Prisons and Borstals that 68W adjudication upon absconders from Borstal should be reserved to the board of visitors.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeTwo years ago I decided not to take a final decision on this recommendation until I had had a chance to see how it worked in practice, and I therefore gave effect to it by administrative direction as an experimental measure. I am advised that this direction, which causes appreciable inconvenience to boards of visitors, is serving no useful purpose and a large majority of boards of visitors have asked that it should be withdrawn. I have accordingly decided to discontinue it and to leave it to Borstal governors to decide in each case whether or not to refer the case to the board of visitors.