HL Deb 03 May 1978 vol 391 cc172-3

2.44 p.m.

Lord INGLEWOOD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give the date of the first irregularities listed in the Osmond Report on the conduct of the late chief constable of Lancashire, and the date of the first effective action by the Lancashire police authority in regard thereto.

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, the earliest specific incident mentioned in the Osmond Report occurred in February 1970, when Mr. Parr was deputy chief constable. The allegations against Mr. Parr were brought to the notice of the Home Office in July 1976 and notified by the Home Office to the Lancashire police authority in August. Sir Douglas Osmond was appointed by the police authority to carry out an investigation on 1st September 1976: they received his report in December 1976. As the noble Lord will be aware, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary recently announced in another place that there are to be further and wider police inquiries into allegations of corruption in Blackpool.

Lord INGLEWOOD

My Lords, while I thank the noble Lord for that frank and very disturbing reply, does he not agree that a time lag of nearly six years gives grounds for concern that the system of checks and balances between the Home Office, the police authorities and chief constables for the control of police forces has broken down, at least in Lancashire? Can he say whether the police authority was in fact ignorant of what was going on and therefore was out of touch, or whether the authority knew certain things, but did nothing about them, in which case it was negligent?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, I obviously cannot speak on behalf of the police authority in a matter of this sort. All I can say is that, in July 1976, a sergeant of the Lancashire Constabulary made representations to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and that within one month this matter had been referred by the Home Office to the Lancashire Police Authority, with the consequences which I have outlined.