§ MR. T. F. RICHARDS (Wolverhampton, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the action of the Metropolitan Police in picketing and taking the names of speakers at open-air Socialistic meetings and not at other open-air meetings; whether this action is taken on his authority or on the authority of the police authorities; and why such action is taken; and, if for no legitimate reason, will he cause this system of shadowing Socialists to be abandoned.
§ MR. GLADSTONEThere is no picketing by the police at any open-air meetings, Socialistic or other. Some police are placed on duty near all meetings, with instructions to keep the peace and regulate traffic. On occasions a record of names is kept, but such action is not confined to any one class of meetings.