§ 90. Mr. Lipsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women are at present serving sentences in prison; and what steps are being taken to provide them 101W with constructive work which will contribute to our economic recovery.
§ Mr. EdeOn 4th November, 1947, there were in the prisons 14,211 men and 864 women, of whom about 90 per cent. would be serving sentences. The majority of prisoners are employed in the manufacture of clothing and equipment for the prisons and other public departments, on the prison works services and farms, and in the domestic services of the prisons. Others are employed on work of public utility outside the prisons, such as agriculture, land reclamation, and clearance of A.R.P. structures. I have under consideration the question in what directions this employment can be extended so as to ensure that the labour of prisoners is used to the best advantage both of their own training and of the national interest.