HC Deb 14 July 1983 vol 45 cc1000-1
8. Mr. Aitken

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with chief constables concerning the publication of memoirs by senior police officers.

Mr. Brittan

The Association of Chief Police Officers shares my concern about the publication of Mr. Gregory's memoirs. It told me that it was already considering the complex issues which it raised. This study, which I welcome, will continue, and the association will keep in touch with my officials.

Mr. Aitken

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware of the general feeling of distaste at this regrettable display of what might be called cheque book chief constablism by Mr. Ronald Gregory? Does he recognise that it is difficult to deal with such a matter by introducing new legislation? Might not the remedy lie in encouraging police authorities to have much stricter contractual terms of appointment for senior police officers?

Mr. Brittan

I agree that what happened was deplorable and I took the earliest opportunity to make my views clear. My hon. Friend is right to mention the difficulty of proceeding by means of legislation. There is some information that an ex-chief constable can usefully give, but it becomes objectionable when he discloses information that is prejudicial to police operations or, as in this case, is damaging or distressing to individuals. We must find a way to deal with that.

Mr. Flannery

I was interested in this matter because the Yorkshire Ripper was brought to a police station in my constituency. I was alarmed when Mr. Gregory prejudged the man, although his judgment proved to be correct. May we have an inquiry into the entire affair so that nothing like it can occur again, and so that someone cannot make a great deal of money out of the terrible misery of those poor people who suffered because of the inadequacy of the search for the Ripper, under Mr. Gregory's poor leadership?

Mr. Brittan

I do not know what sort of inquiry the hon. Gentleman has in mind, but the Association of Chief Police Officers is considering the matter and consulting my Department, which I hope will lead to a practical solution to the problem.

Mr. Fairbairn

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that as long ago as 1979, when Mr. Gregory was chief constable of West Yorkshire, he was preparing the series of articles with the help of officers employed by the police authority, and that in January 1980 he forbade all officers to publish anything because it was the copyright of the chief constable, although he is now in breach of the present chief constable's copyright? Is my right hon. and learned Friend further aware that Mr. Gregory arranged early retirement with a golden handshake of £50.000, and retired on 8 June, that the journalist with whom he collaborated left The Mail on Sunday to work with him full time from February, and that the first article appeared three weeks after his retirement? Will my right hon. and learned Friend investigate that scandal?

Mr. Brittan

We cannot take action retrospectively to deal with the matters to which my hon. and learned Friend has referred. However, we must ensure that it never happens again.

Mr. Snape

Does the Home Secretary agree that it is uniquely distasteful that Mr. Gregory could cash in on his own incompetence? Does not the incident illustrate that chief constables are not only non-accountable to elected representatives, but, from what the Home Secretary has said, are not accountable to him? Will he do something about that?

Mr. Brittan

It would be wrong to draw general conclusions about chief constables on the basis of this episode, and there is no evidence for doing so. The fact that action is necessary has been recognised by the Association of Chief Police Officers. The hon. Gentleman did less than justice to the fact that the association readily denounced the activity, which has been universally condemned, and is considering ways of dealing with it. On reflection, the hon. Gentleman might think that greater prominence should have been given to that aspect of the matter if he wished to be fair to the entire police service.