§ 28. Mr. SIMMONSasked the Home Secretary if he has now considered the statements supplied to him by Members of this House and by private individuals concerning the action of the police in dealing with the unemployed section of the crowd outside the House of Commons on Tuesday, 8th September; and if he can now make any further statement on the matter?
Sir H. SAMUELYes, Sir, I have made inquiry into each of the statements I have received. I find that three persons complained of injury at the police station and three persons were treated for minor injuries only at Westminster Hospital. One was found to be a case of hernia and, in another case, the patient had collapsed in the crowd and been trodden on. I cannot find that in any case the injuries can be attributed to improper use of force by the police. Certainly no one was injured by police batons, as no batons were drawn.
§ Mr. SIMMONSHas the Home Secretary received a long letter from an ex-Member of this House—a lady of very high standing—making very serious charges, and will the Home Secretary consider very carefully the statements contained therein?
Sir H. SAMUELYes, Sir. Those statements have been considered in detail, and I have formed the opinion that the allegations are a good deal exaggerated. Those matters were probably before the magistrates court which dealt with the case.
§ Mr. SIMMONSIs the Home Secretary aware that the lady in question is prepared to make a sworn statement?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman, in the course of his investigations, came across any evidence that a deputation of the unemployed were thrown out by violence—[Interruption.]