HL Deb 13 April 1960 vol 222 cc1052-3
EARL WINTERTON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will convey, through the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, their appreciation of the tact and restraint shown by members of the Metropolitan Police in controlling the crowd during the demonstations outside South Africa House and preventing obstruction and disorder.]

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I am glad to have this opportunity to acknowledge, as my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has already done in reply to a Question in another place, that in dealing with demonstrators outside South Africa House the police carried out a difficult task with all possible consideration. I have no doubt that my right honourable friend's statement and the sentiments expressed by the noble Earl in his Question will be noted by the officers concerned.

EARL WINTERTON

My Lords, in thanking the noble Earl for his reply, may I ask whether he is aware that I put the Question down because of the attacks, completely without foundation, made on the conduct of the police by a Colonial Minister, to which great publicity was given by the B.B.C. and the Press, without disclosure of this particular Minister's extreme political views?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I do not know that I was aware of the point the noble Earl has made, but I think I could have guessed it. I am quite certain that if the officers concerned consider the last few words of my reply to the noble Earl, and the statement my right honourable friend made in another place, the result that the noble Earl desires will be achieved.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, while we entirely accept the general expression of appreciation of the police, is the noble Earl aware that the person mentioned by the noble Earl, Lord Winterton, is a British subject? He is also a Colonial Minister and he had, surely, a full right as a British citizen to express freely what he considered happened. That was tested by the courts, and that speaks for itself.

EARL WINTERTON

It was not tested by the courts.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I am quite certain that all these considerations have been taken into account. There were completely independent people called, who were there at the time, and their evidence was one of the considerations my right honourable friend took into account.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, arising from the supplementary question of the noble Earl, is it not rather unusual to take advantage of a Question to attack a Minister of the Commonwealth?

EARL WINTERTON

Why?

EARL BATHURST

I do not think that any attack was intended by my noble friend.

LORD REA

My Lords, would the noble Earl also convey to the police our appreciation of the way in which they controlled the enthusiasm of the crowds during the visit of the President of the French Republic?