§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the comments of the judge at Knightsbridge Crown Court on Monday 12 163W January regarding the Metropolitan Police exceeding their legal authority in the case of Alan Wild and his growing of cannabis, he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the action which has or will be taken against those responsible and in order to prevent a repetition of the incident; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MayhewThe Commissioner tells us that a misunderstanding gave rise to accounts of what happened in the particular case. The Deputy Director of Information for the Metropolitan Police has written to the press to explain that the practice of the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory, when required to examine small plants which have only seed leaves, is to allow them to grow only until sufficient leaves are present for an accurate scientific examination, and then to allow the plants to die. I understand that the plants taken from Mr. Wild were dealt with in that way.