§ Mr. KINGasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the total cost to the State of keeping a prisoner during his serving out a sentence of two years' penal servitude?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe law does not permit of a sentence of penal servitude for less than three years. The net cost of a prisoner s supervision and maintenance in penal servitude is slightly over £30 a year. I should like to take this opportunity of correcting an answer which I gave to my hon. Friend's question on the same subject on the 19th of April. The Prison Commissioners inform me that in estimating the average annual charge per inmate the value of prison labour is deducted, so that the figure for local prisons is about 11s. 9d. per week net.