§ Mr. BoothTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the use of hypnosis by the police in obtaining evidence for the courts.
§ Mr. Charles WardleMethods of investigation are a matter of operational discretion for chief officers of police. In 1988 the Home Office issued guidance to the police discouraging the use of hypnosis in the investigation of offences, on the grounds that evidence obtained by this method would be likely to be both unreliable and inadmissible in court, as well as carrying a risk of harm to the witness. We have no plans to issue further guidance on this subject.