§ Mr. Hamlingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last six months books and magazines have been confiscated by the police from bookshops in the Metropolitan area; what were the bookshops concerned; how many books and magazines were confiscated in each case; what has happened to the property so seized; whether any of the property concerned has been sold; and if so to whom, at what price, and for what purpose.
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§ Mr. Roy JenkinsPublished material was taken away from bookshops in the Metropolitan Police District on 17 occasions during the period 1st January—30th June, 1967, in the quantities set out below.
Type-scripts Books Pin-up Magazines Cartoons 1 — 16 — — 2 20 — — — 3 22 9 — — 4 114 50 — — 5 12 42 — — 6 170 — — — 7 5 3 — — 8 124 — 14 — 9 — 8 — — 10 41 34 — — 11 58 4 — — 12 20 60 30 — 13 — — 11 — 14 116 116 14 90 15 49 19 — 20 16 7 — 9 — 17 — 55 5 — Total 758 416 83 110 These articles are submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for destruction if court proceedings in respect of them are successful or are returned to the owners (if so desired) if proceedings are not instituted or are not successful. They are not retained permanently by the police or sold by them. It will not be in the public interest to disclose the names of the bookshops concerned.