§ 4. Mr. Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will instruct governors of prisons to provide facilities to enable prisoners wishing to do so to give oral evidence to the Royal Commission on the Police with regard to their treatment in the police stations before being charged and before conviction.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. R. A. Butler)Prisoners who wish to send written representations to the Royal Commission may do so; and I shall authorise the production before the Commission of any prisoner from whom the Commission wishes to hear oral evidence.
§ Mr. FletcherWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that it is not altogether satisfactory for prisoners to tender written evidence, and that these prisoners are in an unique position to give evidence about what has happened 1456 to them in police stations before their conviction and that they ought not to be prevented from doing so by reason of the fact that they have subsequently been convicted?
§ Mr. ButlerNo, but I fail to see how I could have given a more generous and whole Answer than I have, because I have said not only that prisoners can give written representations, but that I shall authorise them to appear before the Commission when it wishes to hear their oral evidence. I hope that the hon. Member will feel satisfied that the latter assurance covers his supplementary question.