Mr. EDMUND HARVEYasked the Home Secretary whether he is now able to state the number of young male persons committed to prison for non-payment of fines during the year ending 31st March, 1914, in the Metropolitan area and in the provinces; and how many of these paid their fines after reception into prison?
§ Mr. McKENNAThere were 651 male prisoners aged sixteen to twenty-one received into Metropolitan prisons during the year ended 31st March, 1914, who were committed in default of payment of a fine. Of this number 210, or 32 per cent., paid their fine after reception into prison. One thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight such prisoners were received into provincial prisons during the same period. The number of these who paid the fine after reception was 370, or 19.5 per cent.