§ 23. Mr. Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now publish the evidence given at the inquiry into the death of Mr. Woolf so as to enable the conclusions reached by Mr. Skelhorn to be related to the facts adduced in evidence.
§ 39. Mr. Taverneasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make available to Members of Parliament a transcript of the evidence given before the Skelhorn Tribunal inquiring into the case of the late Mr. Herman Woolf.
§ Mr. BrookeNo, Sir. This would be inconsistent with the decision to hold the inquiry in private.
§ Mr. SwinglerWas not the purpose of this inquiry to allay public anxiety? In view of the fact that in his Report Mr. Skelhorn made strictures on a number of individual police officers and implied criticisms of hospital officers, in fairness to those individuals concerned and to enable the public to judge, what is the reason for the right hon. Gentleman withholding the evidence which people could read for themselves?
§ Mr. BrookeIt is because the inquiry was held in private. I thought that a private inquiry was more likely to lead to a full and frank examination of all the evidence. Having appointed a very eminent Queen's Counsel to hold an independent inquiry and having published his Report in full—;as I promised 582 to do—I am not prepared to take the matter any further.
§ Mr. SwinglerOn a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory reply, I beg to give not ice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.