§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest most convenient stated period of time, the total number of persons who have been arrested or apprehended on suspicion of stealing and/or shoplifting where no action was taken because these people claimed that they were covered by diplomatic privilege; and what action was taken in each instance.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe number of offences against the Theft Act 1968, including shoplifting offences, alleged to have been committed in England and Wales in the years 1972 to 1978 by persons entitled to diplomatic immunity where the possibility of criminal proceedings was not pursued in consequence of that entitlement is as follows:
Information about each incident is passed by the Home Office to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, whose practice is to bring details of the alleged offences to the attention of the heads of mission concerned.
1972 20 1973 19 1974 19 1975 22 1976 25 1977 24 1978 23