§ Mr. Alex Carlileasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what record of decisions of courts in England and Wales following prosecutions brought by the police or Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on charges relating to obscene publications and importation of indecent material is kept by his Department; and if he will consider publishing this record.
§ Mr. MellorInformation on prosecutions for offences relating to obscene publications, which may be incomplete, is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", supplementary statistics table S1.1(A) of Volume 1 for 1982, under offence classification 86. The information collected centrally does not include sufficient details to identify offences relating solely to the importation of indecent material; these are included with other offences of illegal importation (except12W those involving drugs) under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. No comprehensive central record is kept of the titles of articles in respect of which proceedings are taken.
§ Mr. Alex Carlileasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that the same standards of indecency and obscenity apply to determine the legality of imported literature as apply to non-imported literature.
§ Mr. MellorThis matter falls within the responsibility of both my right hon. and learned Friend and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. They have no present plans to bring forward legislation in this area.