§ 13. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether cases have recently been brought to his notice where the Chief Commissioner of Metropolitan 1695 Police has granted permits for collection on behalf of charities to be made in the streets in certain areas in the Metropolis without any reference or notice to the local authorities concerned; what is the reason for such a very discourteous ignoring of the local authority; and whether he will take such action as will ensure that in future the local authority shall invariably be notified prior to the grant of such permits in sufficient time to allow of an objection being raised if desired?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)The Commissioner is under no obligation to consult the local authorities, but as a matter of courtesy he does so in cases of a local character. When, however, application is made for a street collection throughout the whole Metropolitan police district it would be impracticable to consult all the authorities concerned—some 135 in number. In such cases the Commissioner decides on the merits, after reference to the Advisory Committee appointed under the Regulations.
§ Viscount CURZONIs it really absolutely impossible to consult the local authority first? Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the action of the Commissioner is very high handed when he allots a particular day for a large area—not the whole of London—without any reference to the local authorities whatever?
§ Mr. SHORTTIt would be quite impracticable to consult the whole of the Metropolitan Police district.
§ Viscount CURZONIn this case it was only the area south of the River Thames.