§ MR. WILLS (Dorsetshire, N.)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that a motor car collision took place at Sturminster Marshall, Dorset, on 18th November last, in which Mr. Roy George, a native of Blandford, was seriously injured by a motor car driven by Prince Jitendra Narayan, eldest son of the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, and that, on being summoned for unlawfully driving the car to the danger of the public, the prince successfully pleaded that as a foreign sovereign prince he was not liable to process of British Law; and whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation to protect the citizens of this country from similar dangers at the hands of this or any other irresponsible sovereign princes.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I have seen a newspaper report of the case, from which I gather that the prince was willing that the justices should deal with the complaint, but that they held that they had no jurisdiction over him. My hon. friend will no doubt see that any such legislation as that desired by him could not be limited to offences 2369 under the Motor Car Acts. His suggestion, therefore, raises a general question as regards the position of sovereign princes resident in this country with which it would not be within my province to deal.