§ 32. Sir CHARLES CAYZERasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the advisability of setting up a small committee, with powers to take evidence in private from members of the Criminal Investigation Department, with a view to ascertaining whether the existing power of these detectives to examine and question suspected persons in such cases as the Vera Page case requires alteration or revision?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir Herbert Samuel)I do not think that such a committee as my hon. Friend suggests is required. What are known as "the Judges Rules" must be accepted as governing this matter, and Rule (1) reads as follow: "When a police officer is endeavouring to discover the author of a crime there is no objection to his puting questions in respect thereof to any person or persons whether suspected or not from whom he thinks that useful information can be obtained." I am informed that in the case referred to in the question, over 600 persons were interviewed under the authority of the rule which I have quoted.