§ Mr. Reakesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the value of machinery for output which has been installed in prison workshops since the Report of the Salmond Committee; the value of prison output in the year 1938; and the value of prison output in the last completed year.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe cost of machinery installed by the Prison Commission since 1933 could not be ascertained without considerable research, but the approximate valuation of all machinery and tools held on charge by the manufacturing and farm departments is estimated to have increased by some £22,000 between 1933 and 1943. The output value of the manufacturing and farm departments for the year ended 31st March, 1939, was assessed at £432,500, and for the year ended 31st March, 1944, at £1,106,000. These figures represent the cost of materials, free of labour charge. To the latter figure may be added £97,000 representing receipts from wages paid in respect of prison labour employed by War Agricultural Executive Committees, Government contractors, and the Timber Control.