108. Mr. DOYLEasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that a young woman named Mirabelle Hallen, of the Women's Royal Air Force, Marske, Yorkshire, was kept in police cells at Redcar from Friday evening until Tuesday morning, when she was conveyed to Guisborough Court for trial; whether this detention in police cells for ninety hours was directly due to the fact that Redcar has no resident magistrate's clerk; whether he is aware that the only charge against this young woman was one of disobedience of an order by her commanding officer, and resulted in her acquittal; whether he will take steps to secure provision being made for dealing with cases at the earliest possible moment in the district in which they reside; and whether he is prepared to conduct an inquiry into the whole question of administration of justice in the North Riding?
§ Mr. SHORTTMy attention has been called to the case. The facts appear to be as stated in the question, except that I am informed that the postponement of the case was due to the justices' clerk being unable to attend owing to domestic bereavement. The arrangements for the hearing of the case at Petty Sessions are entirely in the hands of the justices, but I will bring this case to their notice.