§ Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Home Secretary w Nether a Department has been set up under the Home Office to watch and report upon developments in the Labour movement; whether one of its officials is employed to attend Labour meetings in Birmingham and to take a verbatim note of the speeches delivered; and whether this official took a verbatim note of a speech delivered by Mrs. Annie Besant, in Birmingham Town Hall, on Friday, 10th October, and by Mr. A. Fenner Brockway, at Stirchley, on Sunday, 12th October?
§ Mr. SHORTTNo new Department has been set up to watch and report upon developments in the Labour movement. For administrative purposes the special branch at New Scotland Yard has been separated from the Criminal Investigation Department The special branch is not concerned with the trade union movement, and no official employed by the special branch attended a Labour meeting in Birmingham or took a note of a speech delivered by Mrs Annie Besant or Mr Fenner Brockway.