§ MR. HUBBARD (Bucks, N.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will consider the best possible means of increasing the efficiency of those Clauses of the Act of Parliament which require the police to defend women from annoyance by men in public thoroughfares?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I have on a previous occasion, July 14, in answer to the hon. Member for Flintshire (Mr. S. Smith), stated in this House that the police have power to arrest a man who, in a public thoroughfare, uses indecent or insulting language or behaviour towards a woman to her annoyance, or if he molests her in a manner amounting to an assault. I think the law might well be amended, so as to include persistent molestation as well as indecent language.