§ 41. Mr. McGheeasked the Home Secretary whether, before he gives final approval to the proposed increase in the salary of the chief constable of Sheffield, 1475 he will cause investigation to be made into the circumstances in which a private and confidential letter addressed by the hon. Member for Attercliffe (Mr. C. Wilson) to the chief constable asking for investigation into the conduct of a constable was disclosed to the constable concerned, with the result that the hon. Member for Attercliffe has been threatened with a writ for libel; and whether he will circularise chief constables with a view to the prevention of the disclosure of confidential information in such circumstances?
Sir S. HoaresAs I have already informed the hon. Member for Attercliffe (Mr. C. Wilson), I fully recognise the importance of the question raised in this case, but as legal proceedings are pending it would be wrong for me to make any comment at this stage on the particular case to which the hon. Member refers. I may say, however, that I am in complete sympathy with the view that a person should be able to make a bona fide complaint against a member of a police force without exposing himself to the risk of legal proceedings. I believe the importance of this is generally recognised, but I propose to issue to chief constables a circular of advice on the subject.