§ 34. Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Attorney-General whether he has yet decided to bring further prosecutions of members or former members of the Metropolitan Police as a result of Operation Countryman.
§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Ian Percival)The Countryman investigation is still in progress and decisions to bring further prosecutions of members or former members of the Metropolitan Police will be made as and when further reports are submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for his consideration. In the past week my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General has consented to two further prosecutions arising out of this investigation.
§ Mr. PriceI thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for that reply, and we understand why the Attorney-General is not here. Will the Solicitor-General confirm that the single failure in a recent prosecution will not affect the operation of the "51 per cent. chance of prosecution" rule that the Attorney-General operates? Does he agree that if there are cases of police officers having been convicted or disciplined, or having resigned as a result of Operation Countryman, the convictions based on the evidence of those officers should be reviewed and, if necessary, sent back to the Court of Appeal?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralI give the hon. Gentleman the assurance that he asked for in the first part of his supplementary question. Each case will be considered on its merits. At the moment eight officers stand charged with criminal offences. Four have been committed for trial, the committal proceedings in the other four cases will go ahead and the investigation is continuing. Further reports will be submitted, and I confirm that they will be considered on their merits.
On the second part of the hon. Gentleman's question, I am not in a position to give an answer to that——.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe hon. Member for Feltham and Heston (Mr. Kerr) might think that when one is not in a position to give an answer it is better to say so. The hon. Gentleman did not give me a chance to utter the second part of my sentence. I will see that the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) receives an answer from my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, who, as the House knows, is fully engaged elsewhere.