§ 18. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why, on Sunday, 17th October 1965, a lorry without a road fund licence and not exhibiting a registered licence plate was allowed to drive into Kerballa Street, off Club Row; why this vehicle was allowed to be used as a meeting platform for the Greater Britain Movement; why it was allowed to drive off; and why the persons in control of this vehicle were not apprehended and charged when a complaint was made by a member of the public to a senior officer present and in attendance at the meeting.
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§ Mr. George ThomasThe Commissioner of Police informs me that consideration is being given to possible proceedings in respect of the use of the vehicle concerned on the day in question.
It is not illegal to use a vehicle as a platform from which to address a public meeting, and the police have no powers to arrest a person without a warrant for using a motor vehicle without exhibiting a revenue licence or registration mark.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police and vehicles were used in and around the vicinity of Kerballa Street, off Club Row, Bethnal Green, on Sunday, 17th October, to keep order at a public meeting organised by the Greater Britain Movement; and why these policemen took no action against the owners of the large number of vehicles within this area using unlicensed transport.
§ Mr. George ThomasI am informed by the Commissioner of Police that a total of 48 police officers and two police coaches were deployed to keep order at this meeting. During the morning of the same day police in the street market area reported 11 persons for using motor vehicles which did not have revenue licences displayed.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions he has received detailed information of cars and vehicles being used on the roads whilst unlicensed and contrary to the law; what has been the number of such vehicles notified to him; why prosecutions have not been instituted; if he is aware that in several instances these vehicles have been used illegally for almost 12 months, even after warnings have been given; and what action he proposes to take to end this continued evasion of the law.
§ Mr. George ThomasOn the relatively few occasions on which information has been received by my Department about the use of vehicles on the roads whilst unlicensed it has been sent on to the appropriate authorities. It is the responsibility of the chief officer of police concerned to decide what action the police 207W should take in cases which are reported to them. In the Metropolitan Police District the police forward particulars of such cases to the Greater London Council as the local taxation authority.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why prosecutions have not been instituted against the owners of vehicles with licence initials SRK, number supplied, and initials OO, number supplied, in view of the fact that they have been used consistently on the roads since January 1965 with no road fund licence; and on what dates the last road fund licences were issued in each case.
§ Mr. George ThomasThe Commissioner of Police informs me that evidence of the unlicensed use of both vehicles has been obtained and reported to the Greater London Council, who are the appropriate licensing authority, for any necessary action.
The information before the Commissioner indicates that at the time the first vehicle referred to by my hon. Friend was reported it had not been licensed since December, 1964, and that the other vehicle at the time of reporting had last been licensed from 16th March to 30th June, 1965.