§ MR. FORTESCUE FLANNERY (Yorkshire, Shipley)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the alleged short notices of inquests and hasty summoning of jurors stated to have been practised by the coroner for the districts of Idle and Windhill, in Yorkshire, and to the fact that a fine of 40s. was imposed upon a householder because, in arriving at an inquest 10 minutes after he had received notice, he was deemed by the coroner to be late; and whether steps can be taken to ensure reasonable notices of inquests being given by the coroner to the local police to enable them to obtain the attendance of suitable jurors with reasonable length of notice to the householders summoned?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTI have made inquiries into this matter. The coroner informs me that he has never inflicted a fine on a defaulting juryman in the district mentioned. I see, from a newspaper report, that the fine to which I understand the honourable Member to refer was not actually imposed. The coroner has received no complaints of insufficient notice having been given, but I understand that such has been the case in several instances, and I have reminded the coroner of the importance of giving the fullest possible notice.