§ 73. Mr. Prittasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that on 25th June, at a Fascist meeting held in Hogarth Road, S.W.5, the chairman of the meeting called on a police constable to take down and hand to the said chairman the names and addresses of all hecklers and that the police constable did so, although he did not suspect any of the hecklers of any offence; and whether he will make clear to the Metropolitan Police that under Section 6 of the Public Order Act, 1936, they do 236W not have to take names and addresses at a chairman's request unless they suspect an offence and in any case do not have to give them to the chairman.
§ Mr. EdeThe instructions given to the Metropolitan Police on this subject, which are based upon, and fully in accordance with, the words used in the Act, provide that a name and address declared to a constable under the Act may be given to the chairman in a case in which the police do not intend to institute proceedings, so that those responsible for organising the meeting may prosecute if they wish to do so. At the meeting in question the chairman asked for the name and address of only one person and only that name and address were taken.