§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, In how many cases have warrants been issued under the Coercion Act in which the police have not succeeded in arresting the suspected person?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that this was a Question which he did not think that he should be called upon to answer, and he did not think that he ought to give this information. The Act required that when any person was arrested under its provisions he should be supplied with a copy of the warrant, and that requirement had been complied with in the present case. It was, however, not necessary that the Executive Government should state what warrants it proposed to issue, nor what warrants remained in its hands unissued.
§ MR. HEALYWould the right hon. Gentleman decline to give the House any opportunity of knowing how far the Irish police discharge their duty?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERThe Question has a larger interpretation than that. The Act requires, in the case of an arrest, that a copy of the warrant should be given to the person concerned; and I do not think we are bound to give further information than that.