§ 66. Mr. Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state, for the past five years, the number of complaints which have been made to his Department or to the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis in respect of those departments of the police for which he is wholly or partially responsible, alleging that police officers had acted in an irregular manner by disclosing information to the Press; how many inquiries were instituted; and on how many occasions disciplinary action has been taken.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerExact information is not available, but the Commissioner of Police has been able to identify fifteen such complaints from members of the public in this period against Metropolitan police officers, including some referred to him by my Department. All these complants were investigated, but in none of them was it found that there wasprima facie evidence to justify disciplinary proceedings. Disciplinary punishments were imposed in two cases of irregular communication of information to the Press which came to light otherwise than as the result of complaint from a member of the public.