HC Deb 13 April 1926 vol 194 cc21-2
Mr. LANSBURY

(by Private Notice) asked the Home Secretary what instructions as to reporting speeches are given to police reporters attached to the special Department in dealing with speeches at Communist, Labour and other meetings; are they instructed to take verbatim reports, or only such portions of speeches which, in the opinion of the person reporting, are considered to be illegal or seditious?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

Metropolitan Police officers engaged on such duties are told to exercise their discretion in this matter. Speeches are not reported verbatim without necessity.

Mr. LANSBURY

Does the right hon. Gentleman think it quite fair to leave the reporting of speeches to a man whose instructions are to take out only certain portions of what persons may say, and is that conducive to their getting a fair trial if the Attorney-General prosecutes them?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

That is not the instruction given to the police. The police are certainly not told to pick out any special remarks. I will say to the hon. Member, for his own satisfaction, that I have special reports of his speeches.

Mr. LANSBURY

I beg to give the right hon. Gentleman notice that I intend to raise this matter also at a convenient opportunity—not about the verbatim reporting of my own speeches.

Mr. WALLHEAD

Are the reporters who are sent to these meetings expert in the law with regard to sedition, and are they competent to judge whether an utterance is seditious or otherwise?

Mr. SPEAKER

That depends on the report.