§ 31. Mr. Dempseyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Lanarkshire concerning the employment of a member of his force, on 24th April, at Coatbridge High School, for the purpose of forcibly ejecting persons from a political meeting addressed by the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, Southwest (Mr. Powell); and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe chief constable has informed me that his officers were present at the meeting but that they did not forcibly eject any person.
§ Mr. DempseyIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the incident, involving uniformed men as well as plain clothes men, arose from the fact that one of the two gentlemen had in his lapel a badge with a slogan saying, "Kill the Bill", and that the hon. Gentleman's local Tory friends said that they wanted no anti-Government propaganda at that meeting? Is this not a denial of free speech, and since these chaps were unceremoniously turfed out, will he ask his local Tory association to give them an apology?
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithI have looked closely into this and found out that the officers made it quite clear that it was no part of the duty of the police to remove persons from the hall but that the responsibility for such action must reside with the stewards. They made this position clear to everyone involved.