§ Mr. Rees-Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent it is his policy to secure that alcoholics shall be treated by way of sentence in hostels or halfway houses and removed from prisons in future; and when he expects this objective to be achieved.
§ Mr. CarlisleAlthough my right hon. Friend regards it as in general desirable that alcoholics should be treated outside prison, he cannot yet say when it will be 443W possible to bring into force Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1967, which abolishes imprisonment for the offence of being drunk and disorderly. He will, however, make a statement in due course about a report submitted to him by a Working Party on Habitual Drunken Offenders.