§ Mr. FREEMANasked the Home Secretary how many cases of natural death, suicide, and attempted suicide, respectively, have taken place in the conviet prisons, local prisons, and Borstal institutions, respectively, during the 12 months ended 31st May, 1931, giving age, sex, cause, and date in each case?
§ Mr. CLYNESOf natural deaths there were eight in convict prisons, 22 in local prisons and one in a Borstal institution. Of suicides there were none in convict prisons, three in local prisons, and two in Borstal institutions. In compiling any return of attempted suicides there is always a difficulty in determining whether certain cases are real attempts at self-destruction or are merely feigned attempts undertaken for some other purpose; but so far as can be ascertained, the number of cases which can properly 2099W be classed as attempts to commit suicide were in convict prisons one, in local prisons 20, and in Borstal institutions one. I am sending my hon. Friend the other particulars for which he asks.