§ Major HILLSasked the Home Secretary whether he would be willing to appoint a woman when next a vacancy occurs to be filled amongst the Prison Commissioners?
§ Sir J. BAIRDMy right hon. Friend is sorry that he cannot adopt this suggestion. The work of the Prison Commissioners is too heavy to make it possible to replace any of them by a woman with- 1391W out administrative experience of prisons, and to add a paid woman would involve an expenditure which could not be justified. The number of women prisoners is now very small, there is already a woman inspector of prisons, and women justices have been appointed to the Visiting Committees of all the chief prisons in which women are detained.