§ 53. Mr. T. Williamsasked the Home Secretary whether it is the practice of Scotland Yard to interview some person or persons in connection with the production of every new magazine or periodical; if so, will he state the number of new periodicals or magazines that have started during the last 12 months; and how many persons were questioned concerning them?
§ Sir S. HoareI am informed by the Commissioner of Police that it is the practice to make inquiries of the kind referred to, but only if there are special reasons such as suggestions of libel, obscenity or sedition. No statistics are kept of the number of inquiries made in such circumstances or of the number of new periodicals, but I am informed that the number of inquiries is negligible compared with the number of new periodicals.
§ Mr. WilliamsCan the right hon. Gentleman say on what Scotland Yard based their calculations when they sought information because a magazine organised by Indian students had been produced, and what special reason was there to feel that they were more seditious than other people?
§ Sir S. HoareThe hon. Member's information is not entirely correct. What happened was that the police were informed that these individuals were starting a new movement and collecting money for it. In accordance with the usual police practice, they made inquiries, and during the inquiries one of the individuals concerned offered a police officer a copy of this periodical for him to look at.
§ Mr. WilliamsWere not Scotland Yard aware that the Provincial Governments for many years subsidised the Indian student movement in this country to the extent of £800 per annum, and does not the right hon. Gentleman think that that in itself indicated that they were a perfectly bona fide body to publish a magazine?
§ Sir S. HoareI think it was necessary, in view of the fact that these individuals were collecting money, that the police should inform themselves of the object for which the collection was being made.