§ 70. Mr. Grimondasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to see that in future the exact times of executions are not announced.
§ 71. Mr. Liptonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it is the practice to announce publicly beforehand the actual hour at which hangings take place.
§ 85. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment, he will now reconsider the present practice of giving public notice of the time fixed for a pending execution.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI am required by Section 11 of the Homicide Act, 1957, to publish the time and place of an execution as early as I conveniently can. I do not think that to withhold the time would prevent crowds assembling or serve any other useful purpose.
§ Mr. Mathewasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now take steps to keep the place and date of executions confidential until after such executions.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret not. The Royal Commission recommended that the date of execution should be published, and the Secretary of State is required by Section 11 (2) of the Homicide Act, 1957, to publish both date and place. It would not be practicable for either the date or the place of an execution to be kept confidential.
§ Mr. Mathewasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make arrangements with the prison 169W authorities to prevent unauthorised persons assembling in the vicinity of prisons when executions are taking place.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe Prison Commissioners have no authority to prevent persons assembling on the public highway outside a prison.