§ Mr. GALLACHERasked the Home Secretary whether he will take steps to secure to convicts in His Majesty's prisons the right to talk and see that men are not put on report for failing to obey an order by not stopping talking when ordered so to do?
§ Sir J. SIMONThere must be power to limit the amount of talking when prisoners are assembled together, especially in the workshops, but in order to make it clear that an exchange of remarks does not in itself constitute a prison offence the Commissioners in 1922 laid it down that when a prisoner has to be reported for talking in a manner inconsistent with the preservation of discipline, the report should show that the offence was not mere talking but talking after being told to stop. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the instructions on this subject which were issued in 1922 for the guidance of prison officials.