§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that, arising out of a dilution of labour scheme, Messrs. William Beardmore, of Paisley, are employing juveniles from the prison known as the Kibble Institution; if he will state by whose authority such boys are employed; if he is aware that the boys are rated at 4d. per hour, which money goes to the funds of the institution and not to the boys or their parents; that the parents of the boys are called upon to pay towards maintaining the boys whilst in the institution; and if he will state what safeguards have been adopted to ensure that the boys receive the education and training for which they were sent to the institution?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe institution to which my hon. Friend is presumably referring is not a prison, but a reformatory school. I am informed that a number of the lads are temporarily employed at Messrs. Beardmore's munition works, Paisley, and are paid at the rate of 4d. and 5d. an hour. A substantial portion of their wages is set aside to be given to them when they leave the school and they receive pocket-money, the balance of their1028W wages being retained for their maintenance, clothing, etc., the cost of which, owing to their employment at Messrs. Beardmore's, is considerably greater than that of the boys who are not so engaged. The school does not benefit by parental contributions, which are credited to the Treasury and not to the school. The employment of boys from reformatory schools in munition work has been sanctioned, and is carefully supervised on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Reforma-tory and Industrial Schools, with due regard to the purposes, including those specified by my hon. Friend, for which the boys have been committed to the schools.