§ Mr. KEIR HARD1Easked the Home Secretary the number of women political prisoners who are now undergoing sentence, the number who have been or are being forcibly fed, and for what periods, and the number who have been released on licence?
§ Mr. McKENNAThere are no women political prisoners now undergoing sentence, but I presume the hon. Member refers to women convicted of arson and other crimes against the ordinary law, committed in supposed furtherance of the cause of women's suffrage. Apart from, six women received in prison yesterday, under short sentences, who are not refusing food, there are now only two women of this class in prison, and both of these are being fed by tube, but as they offer no resistance, the use of force is not now 343W necessary. One of them has been fed artificially since 5th January, and also for three short periods previous to that date, with intervals during which she took food voluntarily: the other, since 8th January. Another woman, who has been fed forcibly since 18th January, was released on bail to-day.