HC Deb 27 February 1964 vol 690 cc611-2
15. Mr. A. Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the practice of his Department with regard to the recording of messages from outside bodies, and particularly of telephone messages from newspapers.

Mr. Brooke

Messages from outside bodies received in the Home Office are noted in the relevant official papers. Details of an inquiry made by telephone on a routine matter are not necessarily recorded, but a note is kept of any inquiry involving a matter of importance, and of the answer given. In addition, questions asked by newspapers are recorded if they necessitate inquiry within the Department.

Mr. Lewis

Will the Home Secretary look at this matter again? Evidently his present procedure has gone astray. The right hon. Gentleman will know that I have had correspondence with his Department about a certain prisoner and that my local newspaper telephoned his office on two separate occasions and on both occasions a Home Office representative said that there was no knowledge, record or information whatsoever about the case. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that on both occasions the newspaper claimed that that was the reply given to it? Surely there must be something wrong, because for months past there has been this correspondence.

Mr. Brooke

I have seen the correspondence. The hon. Member is not quite right. On 1st January the paper concerned telephoned the Home Office and was told that a letter sent to the Home Office was being considered and that a reply would be sent in due course. There is, however, no trace whatever of any subsequent telephone inquiry by the newspaper.

Mr. Lewis

Even accepting what the Home Secretary had said, may I ask why the newspaper was told on the first occasion that there was no information about this matter and the newspaper published that reply on two separate occasions? There must be something wrong somewhere.

Mr. Brooke

The hon. Member has got it wrong. I have explained what happened and I have indicated the information which was given in reply to the first inquiry. There is no trace whatever of the second inquiry having been made.