HC Deb 30 April 1936 vol 311 cc1072-3
24. Mr. GALLACHER

asked the Home Secretary under what statutory authority the police are required to keep the offices of certain political and working-class organisations under observation, including tampering with the post and telephones at such addresses; what is the number of the staff employed on such jobs, and are they drawn from police or post office personnel; what is the cost to the Departments involved and the approximate delay to mail so dealt with; what measures are taken to prevent theft or damage to valuable articles or specie in transit; and whether registered letters and the correspondence of Members of Parliament are inviolate in this respect?

Sir J. SIMON

No statutory authority is required to enable the police to keep observation upon premises or individuals, but the hon. Member is mistaken if he thinks that the police recognise any class distinction in this respect. The police have no authority to interfere with the post or telephones, and they do not, of course, so so. The Postmaster-General may be authorised, by warrants under the hand of a Secretary of State, to detain and open postal packets, but it would be contrary to the public interest to give information as to the operation of such warrants.

Mr. GALLACHER

Is the Minister aware that very often when I am on the telephone from the headquarters of my party I hear a connection being made with other people; and is he further aware that on one occasion when we opened one of our letters we got the record and the signature of the official who had examined the correspondence which had been dropped into the letter by mistake?

Sir J. SIMON

As regards the telephone, that, of course, concerns another Department, but I think it is the experience of all of us that sometimes we do not find the connection is as precise as we would wish it.

Lieut.-Colonel SANDEMAN ALLEN

Is not the general policy of the Cornmunist party the sharing of all things, including conversations?

Mr. GALLACHER

I should like to have a direct and categorical answer to the question about the correspondence of a Member of Parliament. Is my correspondence interfered with?

Mr. THURTLE

Will not the right hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that he will represent to the responsible authorities that the correspondence of a Member of this House should not be interfered with in this way?

Sir J. SIMON

I do not know why the hon. Member should assume that it is so interfered with. I am certainly not aware of anything of the kind. I decline, in the public interest, to give a list of all the details that have to be considered in the exercise of the general discussions of the Secretary of State, but the rights of a Member of Parliament are, of course, fully recognised.

Sir P. HARRIS

Are not Members of Parliament immune in this matter?

Sir J. SIMON

I can say quite confidently that the rights of a Member of Parliament are invariably remembered.