§ Mr. Medlicottasked the Home Secretary whether, under Section 18B of the Order-in-Council, dated the 1st day of September, 1939, amending the Emergency Powers Defence Regulations, 1939, any person or persons have been directed to be detained in custody; for what period or periods such person or persons have remained in custody pending trial; and what is the average length of time which elapses before persons detained under the provisions of this section are judicially tried?
§ Sir J. AndersonThirty-four persons have been detained in pursuance of orders made under Defence Regulation 18B, but in four of the cases the Advisory Committee have recommended that the individual should be released subject to a restriction order requiring him to report at intervals to the police, and I have taken action in accordance with the committee's recommendations. The object of the regulation is to provide for the custody on security grounds of persons against whom it is not practicable to bring criminal proceedings. They are not judicially tried, but they have the right, within 10 days of arrest, to make objections to their detention and such objections must be considered by the Advisory Committee.
Twenty-eight of the persons concerned have made objections and the committee have already completed their examination of 24 of these cases. Most of the persons so detained were arrested on the outbreak of war, and a little time necessarily elapsed before it was practicable to arrange for the Advisory Committee to get to work. Now that the first batch of cases has been dealt with, it is anticipated that any persons who may in future be detained under this regulation and may make objections will have their cases examined by the Advisory Committee within a few days from the receipt of the objections.