§ 27 and 28. Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why he has been unable to reply to matters raised in a letter from the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford, dated 30th November, 1960, referring to the case of Mr. Henry Scudder, now serving a sentence of nine years' imprisonment;
(2) why no further communication has been sent by him to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford following his letter of 29th March in which he stated he was asking the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis for details of the latest position as a consequence of 412 the full inquiry ordered by the Commissioner into the alleged innocence of Henry Scudder, and also into the complaints about police action.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe hon. Member has sent me on several occasions, beginning last November, material for consideration on behalf of this prisoner. As I informed him, I asked the Commissioner of Police to have inquiries made into the representations, and I am at present considering a report and other material on this case. I regret that I have so far been unable to send the hon. Member a final reply, but I hope to do so shortly.
§ Mr. DoddsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the intense dissatisfaction felt by the mother, by the wife, and by other near relatives of this man? Can the right hon. Gentleman deny that I received no message at all from him, except a card, in reply to my letter of 30th November, until I wrote to him at the end of March? Did he not say at the end of March that a full inquiry had been held by the Commissioner, and that he was inquiring into the position? Does he not appreciate that this is now June, and that if it goes on like this the man will have served his nine years' sentence before anything is done? Can the right hon. Gentleman hurry matters?
§ Mr. ButlerI will certainly do my best to accelerate the procedure, but the case is very complicated and a great variety of inquiries have had to be made.