§ 35. Mr. Sorensenasked the Home Secretary what further action he has taken respecting prosecutions undertaken and penalties imposed under Defence Regulation 39B (a); how many persons have been released from imprisonment; whether any excessive fines have been reviewed and reduced; how many fresh prosecutions have been instituted during the past fortnight; and whether persons prosecuted under the Regulation will henceforth normally be allowed bail when subject to arrest?
§ The Under-Secretary of State far the Home Department (Mr. Peake)As regards the first three parts of the Question, my right hon. Friend has reviewed all the cases which had been disposed of by the courts up to the time of the statement which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made on 23rd July, and the result has been published in the Press. Since then proceeding have been instituted in four cases. In one of these the defendant has been bound over and 1229 cautioned, and in the other three the proceedings have not yet been completed. As regards the last part of the Question, most of these cases are dealt with by summons, and the question of bail does not therefore arise.
§ Mr. SorensenMay I ask whether the announcement recently made, to which the hon. Gentleman refers, namely, that certain sentences had been drastically reduced, really means that in the estimation of the Home Secretary some of the penalties were five, six or 10 times greater than they should have been?
§ Mr. PeakeI think that all I can add to my previous answer is that the statement made in the Press on 29th July shows that my right hon. Friend has faithfully carried out the duty laid upon him by the Prime Minister.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes that not mean that the reductions showed that the original penalties were far beyond what they should have been?
§ Mr. ManderHas there been a review of all the cases that have come before the courts up to date?
§ Sir H. WilliamsWere there any prosecutions for making the statement that parachutists had come down, seeing that this statement was based on information circulated officially?
§ Mr. PeakeI cannot say; there are something like 114 cases altogether, and I cannot carry all the details in my head.
§ Mr. GallacherWill the hon. Gentleman get the police to stop objecting to bail? Is he aware that Isa Alexander was arrested on Sunday night, kept in prison for two days without bail and then liberated without any charge having been made?
§ Mr. PeakeIf there are cases where arrests have been made and bail has been refused, I shall be very pleased to hear of them.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes the hon. Gentleman know that four young people at Walthamstow were refused bail?