§ Sir Richard Glynasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the text of all scientific research papers of recent years, in the possession of his Department, dealing with finger printing.
§ Mr. TaverneA considerable variety of material is in the possession of my Department, but it is mostly of a confidential character, and my right hon. Friend therefore regrets that he cannot comply with the hon. Member's request.
§ Sir Richard Glynasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost and the time and manpower required for each of the local mass finger-printing exercises carried out by the police in certain murder inquiries in each of the past five years; and what was the total of prints taken in each case.
§ Mr. TaverneThe only exercise of this kind in the past five years of which I have information is that undertaken in the investigation of the recent murder al, Reading. Eighty-nine police officers were engaged full-time from the 18th to the 24th April inclusive and 10,413 people had their fingerprints taken. The cost has not yet been accurately determined, but is of the order of £2,000.