§ Mr. SpeakerI have to inform the House that I have received a letter dated 19th January, 1971, from the Resident Magistrate of Enniskillen in the following terms:
I have to inform you that Mr. Frank McManus, M.P., of 11 Water Street, Enniskillen was convicted at Enniskillen Petty Sessions on 18th inst. of the offences set out below and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. A suspended sentence of 4 months imprisonment imposed upon him at Enniskillen Petty Sessions on 14th May, 1970, was also put into operation, to run con currently with the above sentences.The letter goes on to list the offences in detail and concludes with the words:Mr. McManus was lodged in Crumlin Road Prison, Belfast, on the evening of 18th inst. Yours faithfully, T. D. H. McC. Elliott, Resident Magistrate.I will cause the whole text of the letter to be printed in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. William HamiltonMay I ask whether you have the power, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that the hon. Member is safeguarded so far as his parliamentary duties are concerned while he is in prison?
§ Mr. SpeakerI think that that matter was really dealt with by the Report of the Committee of Privileges. I do not think that I have any power in the matter at all.
§ Following is the text of the letter—
§ Petty Sessions Office,
§ Courthouse,
§ Enniskillen.
§ 19th January, 1971.
§ Dear Sir,
§ I have to inform you that Mr. Frank McManus, M.P., of II, Water Street, Ennis- 1454 killen, was convicted at Enniskillen Petty Sessions on 18th inst. of the offences set out below and was sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. A suspended sentence of 4 months' imprisonment imposed upon him at Enniskillen Petty Sessions on 14th May, 1970, was also put into operation to run concurrently with the above sentences.
§ The offences were as follows:—
§ (1) That defendant, together with other persons, on the 28th day of November, 1970, at Enniskillen in the County of Fermanagh, failed to comply with an order issued by the Minister of Home Affairs pursuant to Regulation 40 of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Acts Regulations (N.I.) 1970, prohibiting the holding of all public processions in any highway, road, street or public place in Northern Ireland, during the period commencing on the 23rd day of July, 1970, and ending on the 31st January, 1971, in that defendant with others on the 28th day of November, 1970, took part in the holding of a public procession in contravention of said order, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922.
§ (2) That defendant, together with other persons, on the 28th day of November, 1970, at Enniskillen, in the County of Fermanagh, did procure, aid and abet the holding of a public procession, contrary to the provisions of an order made on the 23rd day of July, 1970, prohibiting the holding of all public processions in any highway, road, street or public place in Northern Ireland during the period commencing on the 23rd day of July, 1970, and ending on the 31st day of January, 1971, and made by the Minister of Home Affairs in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Regulation 40 of the Regulations made under the authority of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Acts (Northern Ireland) 1922–43, contrary to Section 2(2) of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922.
§ (3) That defendant, together with other persons, on the 28th day of November, 1970, at Enniskillen in the County of Fermanagh, took part in a procession, the holding of which was prohibited by an order made by the Minister of Home Affairs, being an act of such a nature as to be calculated to be prejudicial to the preservation of the peace or the maintenance of order in Northern Ireland contrary to Section 2(4) of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922.
§ Mr. McManus was lodged in Crumlin Road Prison, Belfast, on the evening of 18th inst.
§ Yours faithfully,
§ T. D. H. McC. Elliott,
§ Resident Magistrate.
§ The Rt. Hon. Selwyn Lloyd, C.H., C.B.E., Q.C., M.P.,
§ Speaker of the House of Commons,
§ Westminster, London, S.W.1.