§ MR. J. ROWLANDS(for Mr. PICKERSGILL) (Bethnal Green, S.W.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that, in the course of the trial last week of William Waddle, on an indictment for wilful murder, upon which he was found guilty, a police constable admitted that he "closeted himself in the prisoner's cell for over an hour and asked him questions"; and, whether he will take any, and, if so, what, steps to stop the questioning of prisoners by the police?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)According to the notes of evidence the police constable stated that he was almost an hour in the cell with the prisoner, asking him questions. I will communicate with the learned Judge, and ask him whether it appeared at all before him that the police constable asked questions which he ought not to have asked, or other than were necessary for the purpose of ascertaining the prisoner's identity. If it turns out that this was the case, I will certainly take steps to mark my disapproval of such conduct.