HC Deb 15 April 1943 vol 388 cc1372-4
34. Captain Sir William Brass

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the two successful appeals against the Metropolitan police at the London Sessions, on 8th April, where the stop-watch method of trapping was criticised and where each applicant was granted £5 5s. and costs against the police; and whether the statement issued by Scotland Yard afterwards to the effect that the same methods of trapping would continue to be used in the Metropolitan area in spite of these decisions was issued under his instructions?

Mr. H. Morrison

I have obtained reports of the two cases referred to, but they do not, as my hon. and gallant Friend suggests, involve criticism of the system of timing by stop watches. No change of system is, in fact, contemplated, but I am informed that no formal statement to the effect described in the second part of the Question was issued by Scotland Yard.

Sir W. Brass

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this was just an ordinary case of timing, that this timing is most unsatisfactory and incorrect, that it depends entirely on whether the first policeman pulls out his handkerchief at the correct moment, and that if he waits until a car is half-way down the track it doubles the speed?

Mr. A. Hopkinson

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether in future, in order to avoid the waste of time of his Department and of this House, instructions will be given that Members of this House should not be prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit?

35. Sir W. Brass

asked the Home Secretary how many drivers, timed by plain-clothes officers with stop watches over straight stretches of 220 yards in the Metropolitan police area were proceeded against during the six months ended 31st December, 1942, for exceeding the statutory limit applicable to the type of vehicle timed?

Mr. Morrison

Owing to the curtailment of statistical work since the war, this item is not now specially recorded and the information is accordingly not available.

Sir W. Brass

Do I understand that these statistics are not available to Scotland Yard and that no statistics are kept as to particular prosecutions for the last six months of 1942?

Mr. Morrison

My hon. and gallant Friend asked for particulars of prosecutions about a particular type of offence in particular circumstances, and I regret that information is not available.

Sir W. Brass

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that when I ask a Question of him which is not satisfactory to Scotland Yard, the answer is always an evasive one?

Mr. Morrison

That is a very unworthy suspicion.

36. Sir W. Brass

asked the Home Secretary the total number of police officers employed on duty in operating a single police trap of the Metropolitan police variety where two officers are dressed in plain clothes and use handkerchiefs and stop watches to time vehicles over a straight length of 220 yards; and whether he is satisfied that this is work of national importance in time of war?

Mr. Morrison

The number of officers employed together in operating a single control is three. As regards the second part of the Question, I can only refer to the reply which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on 1st April.

Sir W. Brass

The answer which the right hon. Gentleman gave me was that it saved lives on the road, and is he aware that these traps do not save a single life on the road at all?