§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Home Secretary whether a report was made to his Department by the Kingston police that, on or about 22nd August, a naturalised 460W German, William Small, formerly Wilhelm. Schmahl, was stopped at Kingston Hill by a uniformed policeman whilst being conveyed with his wife and family to Paddington Station by motor car; whether the man used the same car to return home on a subsequent day; whether the police satisfied themselves that the ear did, in fact, convey him to and from Paddington Station only, or whether the car took him all the way to Newquay; were particulars taken by the police at the instance of a resident of Broomwater, Teddington, who, with the police, chased Small until such time as another officer stopped him; whether he received on 22nd August a letter written by another resident of Broosmvater drawing attention to these facts and to the fact that, on 4th August, 1917, this man went to Bournemouth with his family for a holiday and, before starting, drew six gallons of petrol on a licence issued to the Anglo-Scandinavian Box Company, No. 555796/56720, such licence being free of duty; whether any prosecution for respecting this man's use of a private pleasure purposes was taken; if not, why this course was not adopted; whether he is aware that continuous complaints have been made to the Teddington police respecting this man's use of a private motor car, and that the local police have stated that they cannot prosecute him because he is always able to excuse himself that he is on business; that on Saturday, 28th September, this nan was in Kingston market place with the same car using it for private purposes; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ Sir G. CAVEI am having inquiries made to see whether in any of the recent occurrences mentioned in this question there is anything which calls for action on my part.