§ The Attorney-General (Sir Elwyn Jones)I beg to ask leave to present a petition from Sir Norman Skelhorn, Director of Public Prosecutions. I ask that the petition be read by the Clerk at the Table.
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THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE read the Petition, which was as follows:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.
The Humble Petition of Sir Norman Skelhorn, K.B.E., Q.C., Director of Public Prosecutions.
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SHEWETH
That reference is desired to be made in the proceedings in the courts of law against William James Owen, Member of Parliament for Morpeth, in respect of a charge under Section 1(i)(c) of the Official Secrets Act, 1911, to documents laid before the Select Committees on Estimates and the Estimates Committees and their Sub-Committees, together with the minutes of evidence, the minutes of proceedings and the reports of the said committees, during sessions 1959–60 to 1964–65 and to office papers relating thereto; and that the evidence of John Peter Scott Taylor, a deputy Principal Clerk of this House, and Robert Vidal Rhodes James, a senior Clerk of this House on secondment, touching upon such matters is relevant to the said proceedings in the courts.
Wherefore your Petitioner prays that your Honourable House will be graciously pleased to give leave to the said Clerks of this House to attend the said proceedings in the courts, to produce the said documents, minutes, reports and papers and to give evidence in relation thereto.
And your Petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI beg to move,
That leave be given to the said Clerks to attend and produce the documents, minutes, reports and papers, and to give evidence accordingly.When it is desired to produce evidence of proceedings before the House or before any Committee of the House, it is necessary to Petition the House praying that the proper Officer may attend and produce the evidence. The House will find the relevant reference in Erskine May at page 64. In this case, it is necessary for the prosecution in court proceedings against the hon. Member for Morpeth to refer to certain Select Committee documents, and, according to the law 1227 and practice of Parliament, such documents can be produced and evidence on them given by the Clerks concerned only if the House gives leave.The Motion is in the ordinary form and has been adopted by the House on several previous occasions. The House will appreciate that it would be quite improper to discuss the details of the case against the hon. Member; indeed, it could be prejudicial to him to do so. But I can give the House this assurance. I personally have considered the evidence and am entirely satisfied that it is necessary for the administration of justice that those documents should be produced and that the Clerks named in the Petition should be available as witnesses to produce the documents and to give evidence relating to them.
§ Question put and agreed to.