§ *LORD BELPER, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said that a short time ago the Controller and Auditor General called attention to the fact that there appeared on the account of the Receiver a certain fund which had been known as the Prisoners' Unclaimed Property Fund, and which was not subject to audit. Subsequently it was found that the Acts of Parliament which gave powers with regard to the property which was found on prisoners were not adequate for the purpose; that although they gave tolerably adequate powers with respect to sums under £15, and property in connection with which an actual charge was made., they gave no power under which the police could deal with larger sums or with property found on prisoners as to which no charge was made. Last year a Departmental Committee found that there were many cases not only in London but in the provinces, where property was found on prisoners which could not be dealt with under the existing, law. He might mention a few of those cases.
1449 Firstly, there was the case where a prisoner was, acquitted; secondly, the case where a prisoner might have absconded after being bailed; and, thirdly, the case where the prosecution did not appear. There was also the not uncommon case where a prisoner was charged on a number of different indictments, but where he was only convicted on one or two. There was no legal process by which the property which had not been made the subject of charge could be disposed of. The Bill, therefore, proposed that in any cases where property had come into the possession of the police in connection with any criminal charge or under certain sections of certain Acts of Parliament, a metropolitan police magistrate within the metropolitan police district and a court of summary jurisdiction elsewhere might make an order for the delivery of the property to the person who appeared to the magistrate to be the owner. It was also provided that the Secretary of State should make rules for the disposal of the property that came into the possession of the police. The Bill dealt with other details, such as the disposal of perishable goods and the money so received would be devoted in certain ways laid down in the Bill, and, finally, for the benefit of discharged prisoners. The Bill also provided for the audit of accounts, and, considering all the circumstances, he thought their Lordships would agree that the Bill should become law without further delay. He begged to move.
Bill read a Second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.