§ Mr. BIRKETTasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the growing practice of newspapers of publishing detailed accounts of the last moments of condemned persons in the cells and on the scaffold, purporting to be written by officials present in 2431W the prison at the time of the execution; and whether he will consider using the powers which he possesses, under the Capital Punishment Amendment Act, 1868, of issuing rules supplementary to those issued by the Secretary of State on the 5th June, 1902, for regulating the execution of capital sentences, in order that the publication of information by persons present at the execution may be prevented in future?
Mr. HENDERSONMy attention has been called to certain articles which have appeared. The powers referred to would not authorise the making of rules forbidding the writing of such articles.