HC Deb 04 July 1957 vol 572 cc1275-6
1 Mr. Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions since 1945 he or his predecessors have given permission for Members of Parliament's telephone conversations to be tapped: and whether he will publish in HANSARD a list of the names of the Members whose telephones have been so tapped;

(2) on what date since 1945 he or his predecessors gave permission for the telephone of the hon. Member for West Ham, North, to be tapped; and for what purpose;

(3) the types of cases in which, in the interest of public order, he grants permission for telephone calls to be intercepted; and why telephone calls of trade unionists connected with industrial disputes are included among such cases.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 25th June to a Question by the hon. Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton).

Mr. Lewis

The Minister has answered three Questions together dealing with three entirely different points which were not dealt with in the Question and Answer to which he referred. May I now ask the right hon. Gentleman to confirm or deny whether the telephone of the hon. Member for West Ham, North was tapped and how many Members of Parliament have had their telephone calls intercepted, and for what reason?

Mr. Butler

I can only give exactly the same Answer as I gave to the hon Member for Brixton on 25th June and the answer I gave to supplementary questions on 27th June, namely, that I am not prepared to disclose the number of warrants, nor am I prepared to disclose any particular class of persons and nor should it be surmised by certain persons that their telephones have been tapped.

Mr. Paget

May we take it that this information will be available to the Committee?

Mr. Butler

I do not know. I am not running the Committee. All I know is that some very able, distinguished and learned gentlemen are engaged on this Committee, and as far as I am concerned the more information they can have the better.

Mr. Shinwell

If I have a suspicion, however unwarranted, that my telephone has been tapped, could the right hon. Gentleman remove that suspicion by making a declaration which would satisfy me?

Mr. Butler

It is very difficult to satisfy the right hon. Gentleman at any time.

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