59. Sir F. HALLasked the Home Secretary in what proportion of the murders committed in the years 1928, 1929, and 1930 outside the jurisdiction of Scotland Yard the assistance of Scotland Yard was invoked; and what effect the new procedure with regard to questioning suspects has had on the difficulty of dealing with crimes in the commission of which there is reason to suppose that habitual criminals are concerned?
§ Sir H. SAMUELIn each of the three years mentioned there were three cases of murder, outside the Metropolitan Police District, of persons aged one year or more in which the Metropolitan Police were called in. The numbers of such murders were, in 1928, 62; in 1929, 76; and in 1930, 57. The only action taken in the matter of questioning suspects has been with a view to bringing police practice into full conformity with the Judges' Rules, more particularly where there was reason to think that police practice might be based on too restricted an interpretation of the Rules. These Rules, which have been in force many years, do not prevent any necessary and proper questioning of suspects, and no representations have been received from any quarter that the Rules, if properly interpreted increase the difficulties which are inherent in the investigation of all classes of crime.