§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of their wide experience in these matters, he intends including authorised prison visitors and prison officers on the Advisory Council on the Treatment of Young Offenders recently set up.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonAs I announced in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. J. J. Lawson) on 3rd August, I have now appointed the members of the Council. The members do not include either a prison officer, or, so far as I am aware, an unofficial prison visitor. This implies no lack of appreciation on my part of the valuable work done both by members of the prison service and by prison visitors. I decided not to appoint any officials to the Council, with the exception of the Permanent Under-Secretary for the Home Department, who is Vice-Chairman, but the Council will be able to draw1656W freely whenever they wish on the experience of any of my officers. More than one member of the Council has experience of prisons in an unofficial capacity, and I have no doubt the Council will keep in mind the possibility of getting information and advice from prison visitors as well as from other sources.