Mr. E. HARVEYasked the Home Secretary how many houses of remand are now in use in England; and what steps are being taken to increase their number in order to lessen the number of persons who, in the absence of remand houses, are detained in prison while awaiting trial and are subsequently acquitted or discharged without sentence?
Mr. HENDERSONAs the hon. Member is aware, prisoners on remand are ordinarily committed to a prison or to the custody of the police. If they are under 16 they can be committed to the places of detention established under the Children Act and managed by the local police authorities. The provision of other special places or institutions which might in some cases avoid the remanding of an accused person to prison is a matter which I have by no means lost sight of, but I am not in a position to propose legislation on the subject.
§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Home Secretary if he will introduce legislation to prevent the sending of Police Court cases, on insufficient grounds, to a remand prison to have their mental state inquired into, seeing that these institutions are prisons with indignity and stigma superadded?
Mr. HENDERSONThe question whether a remand is desirable in any particular case is, of course, one for the discretion of the Court and could not be regulated by Statute. The provision of special institutions which might in some cases avoid the remanding of an accused person to prison is a matter which I have by no means lost sight of, but I am not in a position to propose legislation on the subject.