§ 51. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Attorney-General whether he will make a statement on his decision not to prosecute The Sun newspaper regarding a cartoon it published.
§ The Attorney-GeneralMy decision was taken on the basis of all the relevant circumstances, which included as one — I stress one — of the factors, a mistake in my Department which arose from a misunderstanding between myself and an official and led to the complainants being wrongly informed that I had decided to prosecute. The true position was that I simply wished police inquiries to be made. The House will realise, of course, that I naturally regret this.
§ Mr. HughesWhat new information or representations had the Attorney-General received between 30 July and 21 August? What was their nature, and what was in them that made the Attorney-General change his mind?
§ The Attorney-GeneralVarious representations were made from the Arab Society, but I do not know whether they were within those dates. Various people concerned with the matter, including The Sun, were wrongly told that there would be a prosecution. When they were interviewed by the police, on advice, they took a course different from the one they would have taken if they had known the true facts.
§ Mr. NelsonDoes my right hon. and learned Friend agree that, whatever the sensitivies of Arab terrorists or pickets outside Wapping, the pig is a much maligned creature?
§ The Attorney-GeneralI have always been rather fond of pigs.