§ MR. KEIR HARDIEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that, on the 17th of July, four members of a trade union, who were acting as pickets in connection with a labour dispute now being waged at Bradford, in Yorkshire, were arrested at the instance of an employer whose workmen are on strike, and conveyed to the police station, where, after being examined, they were liberated, no charge being preferred against them, whether he is aware that shortly after midnight on 19th July these same men were arrested in their homes and conveyed to prison, charged with intimidation and persistent following, and that the charge of intimidation broke down and had to be withdrawn, and three of the accused were acquitted of the charge of persistent following, and whether he can explain why these men were arrested during the night, and will he say what action he purposes taking.
§ *MR. RITCHIEI am informed that the men were not arrested as suggested in the first paragraph of the question. They gave their names and addresses at the police station, and went away without any charge being made against them. Warrants were afterwards issued, and the arrests were effected in the early 1155 morning of the 19th. The chief constable informs me that these men reside in different parts of the town, and that it was necessary to effect the first arrest early in order to give time to arrest the others so as to bring them before the magistrate at once. I can take no action in the matter, but I must add that this explanation does not appear to me to be satisfactory.