§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that the conscientious objectors who were taken from Walton Prison to Wakefield recently on being taken back to prison were deprived of all their privileges for a week; whether one of these men, Mr. R. A. Jones, was asked to sign an undertaking to observe prison rules and, because he refused to do so, was put on punishment; whether he is still undergoing punishment and by what authority this punishment has been inflicted; and will steps be taken immediately to see that an end is put to it?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe prisoners in question when at Wakefield Prison refused to obey orders and were punished by reduction in stage, the special privileges which had been conceded to them being withdrawn. On transfer to Liverpool Prison, they were still under such punishment. Neither R. A. Jones nor any other prisoner was asked to sign an undertaking or punished for refusing to do so. Jones is not undergoing punishment.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Home Secretary if he will take steps to have a stop put to the successive punishments which are being inflicted upon a coloured man named Hall, a conscientious objector, in Pentonville Prison; and if he will inquire why the complaints made to the visiting magistrates have been ignored?
§ Sir G. CAVEThis prisoner has been awarded punishment on several occasions by the visiting committee for refusing to work, refusing to obey orders, damage to prison property and noisy conduct. No complaints have been made to the visiting committee and the prisoner says that he has no cause to make any such complaint. It is within the prisoner's own power to put a stop to the successive punishments and I cannot interfere with the discretion of the magistrates in dealing with the case.