§ 10. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department having regard to the contents of the 1474 special report submitted to him on pornography and associated topics by Conservative Queen's Counsel and others some weeks ago, whether he will now introduce selective legislation to strengthen the law in this field.
§ Mr. MaudlingI am examining these proposals, in conjunction with others that have been put to me and pronouncements made by the courts in certain recently decided cases; but I am not yet in a position to state the Government's attitude.
§ Sir G. NabarroWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that what I have to say is said in the friendliest spirit, that we have now been examining the matter continuously since a Conservative Government came to office, and that the Motions on the Order Paper this Session by Conservative Members, backed by up to 80 Members, have evidently brought no response whatever from the Home Office while the cascade of filth and pornographic and obscene material continues unabated? Will my right hon. Friend please try to hurry up and not sit still and do nothing?
§ Mr. MaudlingThe police are responsible for enforcing the existing law, and they do it with considerable efficiency.
§ Sir G. NabarroI quite agree—the existing law.
§ Mr. MaudlingSo far I have not seen any suggestion for legislation that convinces me that it will be an improvement on what already exists in an exceedingly difficult field of the law.
§ Mr. MacLennanIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Moral Welfare Committee of the Church of Scotland recently expressed concern about the problem? Will he invite it to submit to him evidence and suggestions for improvements in the law which might help him in his current studies?
§ Mr. MaudlingI should certainly be most grateful for any help in this matter. The basic problem is how to define, in practical terms that a court can implement, what is indecent and what should be legally described as criminally indecent.
§ Rear-Admiral Morgan-GilesI recognise the difficulty of legislation and I realise my right hon. Friend's many preoccupations. Nevertheless, does he realise 1475 that many of my constituents feel that the Government are sleepwalking into a cesspit in this matter, and will he at least rope off some of the worst areas?
§ Mr. MaudlingI do not think that roping off the worst areas of a cesspit is an appropriate activity for a Home Secretary. I must reject suggestions that we are not concerned with the problem. Equally, I must say that the problem is exceedingly difficult. Over many years succeeding Governments have been baffled by the difficulty not of establishing what in common sense people think is indecent but what in law can be made a criminal offence.
§ Mr. John FraserHas the Home Secretary noticed the extremely welcome decrease of 12½ per cent. in crimes against women in London? There is a great deal of speculation about the reasons. I make no prejudgment, but would the right hon. Gentleman like to investigate the relationship between the drop in such offences and the permissiveness of the literature available—a sort of vicarious pleasure?
§ Mr. MaudlingI have heard this argument used in support of the Danish attitude to these matters but I have never been convinced by the figures I have heard advanced.