asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number, to the best available date, of workpeople prosecuted by his Department for offences that did not appear on the Statute Book before the outbreak of war; the number sent to prison, male and female, respectively; and whether the number of these prosecutions has increased recently?

I am obtaining such information as is available and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

Does my right hon. Friend consider from time to time whether prosecutions of this kind actually further the war effort? Does he consider that sometimes we may poison the whole community by prosecutions of this kind?

Every prosecution is carefully studied. It is not to help me in my war effort, but the country's war effort.