§ 61. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the total number of prisoners now in Peterhead Prison; how many are skilled and unskilled; in which trades, professions and avocations they are skilled; how their work is allocated in and outside prison; how far the present talks on changes in the system of allocation of work in and out of prison have gone; and when it is expected that those talks will conclude.
§ Mr. MaclayForty-three of the prisoners are skilled (13 engineers and metal workers, 12 building artisans, 7 miners, 3 tailors and 8 others) and 195 unskilled. Prisoners are allotted to the work for which they are most suited: 154 are employed indoors, mainly in the worksheds and on domestic duties, 64 out of doors and 20 on the maintenance and adaptation of prison buildings.
The Governor has had preliminary talks with the Town Council about the possibility of the Council's employing 111W prison labour but further discussions will be needed to establish whether this is practicable and these cannot be concluded quickly.