§ Sir R. NEWMANasked the Home Secretary how many petitions have been addressed to him by convicts serving sentences of penal serviture and prisoners in local prisons, respectively, during the 12 months ending 31st December, 1930, and the number of such petitions which have, respectively, been granted or resulted in special investigation being made into the case at the instance of the Home Department?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe total number of petitions received during 1930 from prisoners, whether convicted or unconvicted, was approximately 3,440. Many of them related to minor matters of prison discipline or administration; some to events prior to conviction, and some to the sentence or conviction. It is impracticable to say how many there were in each category or how many were from convicts or from other prisoners, or from persons in Borstal detention or preventive detention. They all received due consideration, and in each ease any investigation necessary was, of course, made.