§ 59. Mr. McENTEEasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the police authorities are breaking up meetings of the unemployed held near Employment Exchanges in the London area, especially in North-West London, and that such meetings have been held at these pitches during past years without disturbance and are addressed by clergymen and other law-abiding citizens; and will he, in order to allow the unemployed freedom of speech, give instructions that at places where traffic is not interfered with and where the proceed-
§ of statistics and I propose, therefore, with his permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ ings are conducted in an orderly manner such meetings shall not be dispersed by the police?
§ Sir H. SAMUELThe Commissioner of Police has considered it necessary to take steps to prevent the holding of meetings in the streets near Employment Exchanges since recent experience has shown that meetings held in such circumstances are liable to lead to breaches of the peace. There has been in the past, and there still is, ample opportunity for holding meetings elsewhere.
§ Mr. McENTEEIs it the policy of the Government to deny freedom of speech to unemployed men and women?
§ Sir H. SAMUELCertainly not.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a very large number of open-air meetings have been held all over London; and will the police authorities assist the unemployed in finding pitches for these meetings where they will not be interfered with; and is it not much better to allow people to ventilate their grievances than to try to suppress them?
§ Sir H. SAMUELI concur and the police are considerate to those who desire to organise these meetings and certainly interpose no difficulties, if the meetings are not held in close proximity to Employment Exchanges, if they are held in places where there is no obstruction to public traffic, and if there is an assurance that disorder will not take place.
§ Mr. McENTEEIs it not a fact that the people holding these meetings, after the meetings were broken up, transferred to other places and were followed by the police, and that their meetings, wherever they were held, were broken up?
§ Sir H. SAMUELNot unless there was disorder.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODDid the disturbances occur before the police interfered or after?
§ Sir H. SAMUELThe disturbances came first. There was interruption of the work at the Employment Exchanges, with disorder, and it was in consequence of that having occurred on several occasions that the Commissioner of Police, in the performance of his usual duties, thought it necessary that, at all events for the time being, meetings should not be held in the proximity of Employment Exchanges.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODOwing to the unsatisfactory reply, we are going to raise the question on the first available opportunity, because it is not all the Employment Exchanges—