HC Deb 21 December 1972 vol 848 cc423-4W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is aware that the hon. Member for West Ham, North wrote to him on 1st November enclosing a letter from a constituent who made charges and allegations of irregularities against the police, and that on 24th November 1972 a police officer from the same station as the officers against whom these charges were made called upon the complainant on another matter and displayed the communication sent to him by the hon. Member; and what was the reason for this;

(2) whether, in the light of his letter to the hon. Member for West Ham, North, dated 14th December, admitting that the police, about whom complaints had been made of alleged irregularities, were supplied with the letter from the hon. Member's constituent sent to him under parliamentary privilege, he will now state what reply he has sent to the hon. Member's further letter of 15th December;

(3) whether he will make it a general rule that when a Member of Parliament sends him a letter from a constituent making charges and allegations of irregularities upon the part of the police and asking for an independent investigation, such letters or photostats are not sent to the officers concerned or the station to which they are attached pending the investigation by officers from another area;

(4) what is the general rule with regard to action taken by his Department and the Metropolitan Police when a Member of Parliament sends to him a communication from a constituent making charges and allegations of irregularities upon the part of the police; and whether it is normal for him to send the complainant's original letter or a photostat thereof to the police station from which the police officers originated, pending an independent investigation by an officer from another sub-division.

Mr. Carlisle

The investigation of complaints against the police is governed by Section 49 of the Police Act 1964. When such a complaint is made to my right hon. Friend he refers it to the chief officer of the force concerned for investigation in accordance with that section. I have asked the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for a report on the specific matters raised in these Questions and shall write to the hon. Member.