asked the Home Secretary the number of officers at Maidstone Prison against whom disciplinary action has been taken during the past 12 months; whether at disciplinary inquiries officers are allowed the right of questioning witnesses; and whether he is prepared to consider the setting up of machinery to deal with disciplinary cases similar to that now operating in the police forces of England, Scotland and Wales?

Apart from a few minor offences, there have been no cases at Maidstone Prison within the last 12 months in which disciplinary action has been taken as a result of an inquiry. At disciplinary inquiries prison officers are allowed the right of questioning witnesses. All prison officers have a right of appeil to the Secretary of State as the head of the prison service, and it is open to him, if the circumstances warrant it, to arrange for an inquiry by an independent person.

In view of the experience that has been gained in the last 12 months of the appeal tribunal in the police service, could not the right hon. Gentleman now extend the experimental stage to the prison service?

The hon Member does not perhaps realise that the Secretary of State is in a very real degree the head of the prison service, and all questions of dismissal have actually to come up before me for my personal decision before they can be carried out. Therefore, there is, in effect, an appeal to me, and, if an officer desires to put any statement before me, he has a right to do it, and it is invariably considered by me before I arrive at a deci- sion; I have also power to direct a separate inquiry if I think well.

I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman understands that I am anxious to remove the handicap of his having to decide something in the absence of the officer; if a prison appeal tribunal could be established, would it cot ease the situation considerably?

I have had no request of that kind from the prison officers. Everything is going very satisfactorily, so far as I know, in the prison service, but, if the hon. Member has any information on this subject and will communicate with me, I Bill be glad to look into it.