HC Deb 26 July 1923 vol 167 cc687-8
26. Mr. LANSBURY

asked the Home Secretary by whose authority Mr. Manning was arrested and detained in prison on Thursday, 12th July, at Poplar; what was the nature of this man's offence; what evidence was brought against him; what was the period of his detention; will he state the name of the magistrate before whom Mr. Manning was charged, and who ordered his release; and is it proposed to pay Mr. Manning compensation for false imprisonment?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

Manning was arrested on 12th July in mistake for an alien of the same name who had been deported from this country in 1918. Though he denied this identification, he refused to give the police any address at which inquiry could be made. Afterwards, however, a friend produced his passport, from which it appeared that he was not the man supposed, and he was at once discharged from custody the morning after his arrest. So far as I can judge, he has no claim for compensation.

Mr. LANSBURY

Have the police the right to arrest a man on suspicion without any warrant from a magistrate? Is it not the fact that the police were told that this man had a passport, and that the passport was produced the same evening, and the man was not discharged until next day.

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

That is adding a great deal more than is contained in the main question. When a man who had been deported, with no right to come to this country, came here, it was natural that a man of the same name should be arrested, and it was still more natural that he should be detained when he refused to give his address.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Is not this a departure from the practice in this country that it is necessary for the police to prove a man guilty, and not for a man to prove that he is innocent?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

There has been no departure at all.

Mr. LANSBURY

Will the right hon. Gentleman say if the police have the right to take a man off the street and demand from him that he shall prove that he is not someone else? Have we come to that in this country simply because two or three people have been kept—[Interruption.]

Mr. SHINWELL

Arising out of the last answer, may I ask whether any information was given to the police in regard to the man? If that information was incorrect, does the right hon. Gentleman propose to deal with those who supplied it?

Captain BENN

May I ask whether it is a doctrine of the Home Office that it is natural that people of the same name, if the police do not happen to know who they are, should be arrested for each other?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

These questions had better be put down. The question of the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) raises a good many new points, on which I should have to make inquiry.

Mr. SHINWELL

May I have an answer to the point I have submitted to the right hon. Gentleman, whether he is going to deal with those who have furnished obviously incorrect information with regard to this man? Does he intend to deal with a situation such as that, which is prejudicial to all?

Mr. SPEAKER

That question does not arise. It should be put upon the Paper.