§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 28 March, Official Report, column 283, if he will identify the range of public places used by the Metropolitan police for informal identification parades in 1982 and 1983.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the identification parades surveyed in 1982 and 1983 took place either on London Transport or British Rail escalators, or on British Rail platforms or concourses.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to seek the ending by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis of the practice of the Metropolitan police of holding informal identification parades in public places; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Giles ShawNo. As I told the hon. Member in the reply I gave to his question on 6 December 1984, at columns281–82, it is the practice of the Metropolitan police (and other forces) to adopt informal procedures when it is not practicable to arrange a formal identification parade. This might, for example, be where the suspect refuses or there are insufficient people of similar appearance willing to take part. The procedure by its very nature has to be held in a public place.