62. Mrs. Butlerasked the Minister of Public Building and Works why his Department informed the hon. Member for Wood Green, without any mention of qualification, on Thursday, 25th October, that permission had been given to the Committee of 100 to hold a demonstration in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, 27th October.
§ Mr. RipponThe hon. Member telephoned my Ministry about the application on Thursday, 25th October, and was told that I wished to grant permission. No mention was made of any qualification because the Committee of 100 are well aware of the terms on which it is the practice to grant permission. When it was learned on Friday, 26th October, that the Committee felt unable to guarantee not to use the meeting to practise acts of civil disobedience or to incite the public to future acts of civil disobedience the hon. Member was advised that in the circumstances I would not authorise the meeting.