§ Mr. Rees-Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many proceedings relating to pornographic offences as a result of Customs and Excise seizures took place in 1972; and with what result.
§ Mr. HigginsI have been asked to reply.
394WCriminal proceedings were instituted against 15 persons in 1972 for attempted evasion of the prohibition on the importation of indecent or obscene articles, All were convicted. Fines and costs of £15,118 were imposed and the articles, numbering over 65,000, were forfeited. No civil proceedings were instituted in 1972 for the condemnation of indecent or obscene articles, as none of the seizures were contested. The total number of articles forfeited was over 800,000.