§ 40. Mr. Adleyasked the Attorney-General on how many occasions in the last three months he has referred matters to the Director of Public Prosecutions directly as a result of specific information passed to him by hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI understand my hon. Friend's question to refer to those matters that I have brought to the Director's attention into which he was not already making inquiries or of which he was not already aware. In three instances during the last three months have I referred such matters to the Director. I do not propose to make a statement.
§ Mr. AdleyRecalling the campaign of denigration against the Metropolitan Police launched by the Liberal Party last July, which is referred to by Sir David McNee in The Guardian today as
the unsubstantiated allegations of anonymous criminals against police officers Mr. Steel refused to namewere any of the three cases which he has named referred to him by members of the Liberal Party? If so, will my right hon. and learned Friend say something further? If not, does he agree that the campaign was deplorable and should be condemned?
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo cases or evidence have been referred to me for some months by any Member of of the Liberal Party in respect of the Countryman investigation. Indeed, the second paragraph of the letter from my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to the Leader of the Liberal Party, which is in the Library, states:
You agreed at our meeting that no new information requiring investigation was in your possession.