§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Home Secretary, with reference to the prohibition of the distribution of leaflets in the streets by way of advertisement, whether the Commissioner of Police proposes to instruct his officers not to interfere with bills advertising political meetings; whether he is aware that a society for the suppression of vivisection were advised by the Commissioner that, if their leaflets were advertisements, an offence would be committed if they distributed them in the streets; and how this can be reconciled with the intention that the police should not interfere with advertisements except those distributed for purposes of trade or profit?
§ Mr. McKENNAI understand that the society referred to on applying to the police was advised that the distribution of leaflets that are advertisements within a certain area would be an infringement of the law, but, as I have already stated, the police have now been instructed not to interfere unless advertisements are distributed in the streets for purposes of trade or profit, and then only when the distribution leads to the obstruction or annoyance of passers-by or causes the streets to be littered with paper.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Home Secretary with reference to the prohibition of the distribution of leaflets in the streets by way of advertisement, which will not ordinarily apply to political tracts, is he or the Commissioner of Police to have the power to decide what are the extraordinary 2394W occasions when such distribution is to be prohibited; and does the term political tracts cover advertisements of political meetings?
§ Mr. McKENNAIf my hon. Friend will refer to the reply given by me on the 14th October, to a question put by himself, he will see that I expressly stated that the police would intervene only when leaflets of the nature of trade advertisements were distributed to the obstruction or annoyance of passers-by or so as to litter the streets.