§ Mr. PRITTasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that, on Saturday, 28th December, 1935, Detective-sergeant Whitehurst, of the Criminal Investigation Department, gave evidence at Bow Street Police Court to the effect that a meeting between two persons at Vine Street Police Station, on 27th December, 1935, was a chance meeting; that after prolonged questioning by the learned magistrate he admitted that the meeting was not a chance meeting but had in fact been arranged by him; and that he subsequently attended before the learned magistrate and apologised for having given false evidence in the matter; what, if any, disciplinary action or criminal proceedings have been or will be taken against this detective-sergeant; how many persons have in the past been convicted of offences on his uncorroborated evidence; and whether any and, if so, how many other police officers who were present at the meeting at Vine Street Police Station were also present at Bow Street Police Court when the detective-sergeant gave his said evidence?
§ Sir J. SIMONI have had before me full reports on this case, and I am1838W informed by the Commissioner of Police that suitable disciplinary action has been taken against the officer referred to. It is not possible to say whether any person has ever been convicted on this officer's evidence alone; but there is no record of any suggestion that he had previously given unsatisfactory evidence. None of the other officers present at the meeting at Vine Street was in court while he gave evidence in this case.