HC Deb 29 February 1968 vol 759 cc402-3W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will instruct the Metropolitan Police, that before applying for a search warrant on the basis of receipt of anonymous telephone calls making charges and allegations against householders, they should investigate the character and police records, if any, of the registered occupiers of such premises;

(2) at what time the police received an anonymous call making false charges against Lady Diana Cooper on Monday, 19th February; what action they took to ascertain the names and characters of the registered occupants of the premises before applying for a search warrant to search Lady Cooper's flat; and at what time the search took place.

Mr. Callaghan:

The Commissioner of Police informs me that the call was received shortly before 11 p.m. and acted upon by midnight. The normal procedure is for inquiries to be made and perhaps observation kept in order to try to assess the reliability of information of this character.

I regret that this procedure was not carried out and the Commissioner has written to Lady Diana Cooper expressing his regrets.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Deputy Commissioner of Police called on Lady Diana Cooper to apologise for a police raid at her private home; and why, in a similar case in Forest Gate, E.7, details of which have been supplied to him, the Deputy Commissioner did not take, and has not to date taken, such action.

Mr. Callaghan:

It is for the Commissioner of Police to consider what arrangements best suit the particular circumstances. I am informed that in the Forest Gate case the officer in charge of the search apologised to the owner before leaving the house and again when the owner visited the local police station later on the same day.