§ Mr. Tim Eggar (Enfield, North)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I beg leave to present a petition on behalf of the Martin Allen action campaign which contains the signatures of 6,275 people from all over the country, including many of my constituents.
The House will remember the sad case of Martin Allen who disappeared in West London on Guy Fawkes night 1979. The Stokes family, some of whom live in my constituency, were very concerned by the event. They are close friends of the Allen family, and they decided to draw up a petition which I am presenting to the House today.
The petition reads:
That there is grave concern and anger at the amount of crimes of violence, rape and abduction throughout the United Kingdom.Wherefore your petitioners pray that your Honourable House will take action to ensure that: 1. More police be employed patrolling the streets of the United Kingdom to deter criminals. 2. The courts be empowered to pass severe sentences on people convicted of these crimes of violence, rape and abduction. 3. More publicity be given to victims of those crimes and that there be less payment to criminals for their press stories to make sure that crime does not pay. 4. There be a return of capital punishment.I beg leave to present the petition.To lie upon the Table.