§ 81. Mr. Yatesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce regulations to ensure that, on future occasions, when large numbers of citizens desire to see Members of Parliament, more suitable arrangements are made by the police to deal with the situation; and if he will give an undertaking that mounted police will not be used except in circumstances defined by regulation.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI am satisfied that the Metropolitan police fully appreciate the importance of taking all necessary steps to enable constituents to have access to their Members of Parliament. What happened on 25th January was that a mass demonstration was organised in the neighbourhood of the Palace of Westminster with the result that other citizens wishing to interview their Members were unable to gain admittance. 243W Moreover, the demonstration became disorderly and, in the circumstances, it was the clear duty of the police, in pursuance both of the Sessional Order and of the general law which prohibits the tumultuous petitioning of Parliament, to disperse the demonstration.
In my view, the police acted with tact and restraint, and I do not think that this incident discloses any need for attempting to define in advance what arrangements should be made by the police to deal with such demonstrations, which occur infrequently and can be dealt with only in the light of the circumstances at the time. Similarly, the circumstances in which mounted policemen should be used cannot be defined in advance and the question of their use must be left to the discretion of the police officer in command on the spot.