§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the food in Hull and Maidstone prisons is constantly short of the prescribed weight and that the prisoners have complained again and again without effect; and whether he will take steps to ensure that every prisoner shall receive the full amount of food to which he is entitled?
§ Mr. SHORTTI have made inquiry and I find that there is no ground for the allegation that the weight of food is constantly short or that complaints have been made without effect. It is true that there have been a few complaints at each of the prisons mentioned. If the weight was found to be short it was at once made up; but in most cases the complaint was found to be groundless, and in some there was overweight.