asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons are in prison as a result of defaulting in their hire-purchase payments; and what is the annual cost to the country.

It is estimated that on 30th March, 1962, there were 178 civil prisoners in English and Welsh prisons who had been committed for failing to pay installments due under a hire-purchase agreement. The cost of this clase of inmate is not calculated separately.During the financial year 1959–60, the annual cost of imprisonment averaged over all classes of inmate was £435 5s. 11d. per head of the daily average population.