§ 30. Wing-Commander Bullusasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how far prison regulations allow reporters to interview criminal offenders detained in His Majesty's prisons.
§ Mr. EdeThe prison rules make no provision for representatives of the Press to interview prisoners, and it is not the practice to give such facilities.
§ Wing-Commander BullusIs the Minister aware that conversations purporting to be those of well-known prisoners were reported in a Sunday newspaper recently?
§ Mr. EdeA great many strange things appear in Sunday newspapers, and I am not to be taken as accepting them. There is no possibility of a newspaper representative interviewing a prisoner unless he is one of the persons who is, in some way or other, connected with the prisoner and pays him a visit. Then it might be possible that an interview might take place, but, generally, it is impossible.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesAre there any regulations which would allow a convicted burglar, with strong views on private enterprise, to give them to the Press?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat appears to be a rather hypothetical question.