87.
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent corporal punishment of civilian prisoners in West and East African Colonial prisons has diminished over each of the past five years.
The latest complete returns of corporal punishment for prison offences are for the period 1941–45 inclusive. I attach the figures at the end of this answer. As my right hon. Friend has previously informed the House, this form of punishment has been the subject
| — | 1941. | 1942. | 1943. | 1944. | 1945. | ||||
| Gambia | … | … | … | … | Nil | Nil | 1 | Nil | Nil |
| Sierra Leone | … | … | … | … | Maximum of 6 | 2 | 2 | 7 | Nil |
| Gold Coast | … | … | … | … | 4 | 2 | 7 | 42 | 12 |
| Nigeria | … | … | … | … | 80 | 49 | 88 | 73 | 74 |
| Kenya | … | … | … | … | 24 | 21 | 30 | 25 | 43 |
| Uganda | … | … | … | … | 12 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 10 |
| Tanganyika | … | … | … | … | 9 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Zanzibar | … | … | … | … | 1 | Nil | 2 | Nil | 1 |
| Nyasaland | … | … | … | … | 1 | 1 | Nil | 2 | 1 |
| N. Rhodesia | … | … | … | … | 118 | 215 | 385 | 230 | 128 |
Note
The period 1940–45 was one of great difficulty in prison administration due to overcrowding in the prisons and shortage of trained prison staff.
The high figures for Northern Rhodesia in comparison with the figures for other territories were especially brought to the Governor's notice in 1943 and the measures taken in consequence showed a considerable improvement in 1944 and 1945. The matter is still being pursued.