§ 34. Sir GODFREY BARINGasked whether the Food Control Department claims the right of calling upon the police to enter houses on their own responsibility or under instructions to search for and seize, if they exist, any hoards of food; whether any such action on these lines has hitherto been taken; and whether the authorities are unable to carry out these investigations, if necessary, by means of officials of the Food Control Department?
§ Mr. CLYNESUnder Regulation 51 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, any police constable who has reason to suspect that an offence against those Regulations has been, or is being, committed on any premises, may enter and inspect such premises, and may seize anything found therein which appears to be used or intended to be used in any manner contrary to law. By Clause 3 of the Food Hoarding Order any person specially authorised in writing by the Food Controller may enter upon any premises in which he has reason to believe that any article of food is being kept in contravention thereof, but such official has no right of seizure. I am informed that in a few cases where it was thought that inspection without seizure might result in waste, a police constable was asked to accompany the official inspector, in order to prevent any waste or removal of food for the purpose of avoiding confiscation. The police have not been called upon by the Department to make independent investigations.