§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the provisions of the Bail Act which give a statutory entitlement to persons arrested to make a telephone call to a close family member, in the light of 322W the fact that these may be exploited by criminal elements who are thus enabled to transmit coded messages to fellow criminals.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesSection 62 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, to which I assume the hon. Member is referring, does not grant such an entitlement. Its effect is to entitle an arrested person to have intimation of his arrest and of his whereabouts sent to a reasonably named person without delay, but where some delay is necessary in the interest of the investigation or prevention of crime or the apprehension of offenders, with no more delay than is so necessary.