§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the evidence used in Regina V. Hewitt at Ashton-under-Lyne Magistrates' Court on 29th September 1977, whether he remains satisfied with the arrangements under which police obtain original printed tape recording made from a meter check printer attached to a private subscriber's telephone without his consent; and what information he has of the number of cases in which the police have requested, and been given permission to obtain, the original printed tape recording rather than a print-out of the information collected in this manner.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI understand that in the case referred to by my Friend the original meter check printer record—which shows the number dialled and the duration of the call, but does not show what was said—was made available to the defence at its request; it was later made available also to the prosecution. I am not aware of any other similar case where an original print has been made available. As to the arrangements by which in limited and exceptional circumstances the police obtain from the Post Office information derived from meter check printers, I have nothing to add to 477W the reply which I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend on 23rd February—[Vol. 944, c. 760–1.]