asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider revising the scale of wages for stokers at Pentonville prison in view of the fact that in some cases the wives of these men have to go out to work to supplement the wage of £2 8s. weekly so that high rents may be paid?

The present rate of wages for these employés is 53s. 6d. a week, less statutory deductions of 1s. 7d. a week. The Prison Commissioners have under consideration representations regarding the rates of pay of stokers, but they propose to defer any decision on this question until the claim of prison officers for a revised scale of pay, which is about to be submitted to arbitration, has been disposed of.