§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to prevent the sale and distribution of instruction manuals which describe how to assemble explosive devices.
§ Mr. HurdThe power to ban publications or to seize imported books applies to those which are indecent or obscene, although the distributors in this country might be liable to prosecution if a publication contained material158W presented in such a way as to incite crime. Whether action should be taken in respect of a particular publication is in the first instance for the police, in consultation as necessary with the Director of Public Prosecutions. The advice in the past from the police has been that publications of the kind described have contained little or no information which was not a matter of common sense, or already available in reference libraries, and that such books or manuals would be unlikely to be used by terrorists or other criminals. But my right hon. and learned Friend is consulting the police and others again. In the light of the advice he receives, he will consider whether any additional steps are necessary.