§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will detail all the circumstances he takes into consideration prior to banning or approving a public procession;
(2) if he will list his powers to ban processions (a) within the Greater London area and (b) elsewhere.
§ Mr. Giles ShawMy right hon. and learned Friend has no powers to ban processions. In London that power rests with the Commissioner of Police, and elsewhere with the borough or district council. Section 3 of the Public Order Act 1936 provides that in London the Commissioner of Police for the City of London or the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis may, subject to the Home Secretary's consent, make an order banning all public processions or any class of procession but only if the believes that his powers to impose conditions on processions under section 3(1) of the Act will be insufficient to prevent serious disorder. Outside London if a chief constable similarly believes that his powers under section 3(1) will not be sufficient to prevent serious public disorder, he must apply to the borough or district council for an order banning all public processions or any class of procession: and the council may make such an order, subject to my right hon. and learned Friend's consent. In deciding whether or not to consent to a banning order the Home Secretary considers in each case the risk of serious public disorder and the resources available to the police to control it, and makes a judgment of what he believes will be in the public interest.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide such details as are readily available of each order prohibiting processions made by him under the Public Order Act 1936 in each of the past five years and to date.
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§ Mr. Giles ShawThe following is the information in respect of banning orders made in England and Wales under section 3(2) or section 3(3) of the Act in the past five years:250W
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Class or classes of procession banned Date ban commenced District(s) Duration 1979 None — — 1980 All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 16 August Sandwell 30 days Dudley Wolverhampton Walsall Birmingham Coventry 1981 All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 5 March Metropolitan Police District 27 days City of London All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 20 March Leicester 1 month All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 21 March Wolverhampton 14 days All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 21 March Leeds 29 days All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 22 March Barnsley 7 days Doncaster Rotherham Sheffield All public processions except those traditionally held on 1 May to celebrate May Day and those of a religious character customarily held 25 April Metropolitan Police District 28 days City of London All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 19 June Coventry 23 days All public processions other than those of a religious, educational, festive or cermonial character 11 July Metropolitan Police District City of London All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 18 July Oxford 11 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 18 July Plymouth 30 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 24 July Scunthorpe 17 days Great Grimsby Cleethorpes All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 1 August North Bedfordshire 9 days South Bedfordshire Luton All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 14 August North Bedfordshire 29 days South Bedfordshire Luton All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 21 August Crawley 17 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 21 August Peterborough 31 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 26 August Liverpool 43 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 28 August Metropolitan Police District 31 days City of London All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 4 September Northampton 25 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 19 September Ipswich 9 days Bury St. Edmunds All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 26 September Luton 9 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 3 October Sheffield 2 days All public processions of a political nature within the London Borough of Croydon 16 October London Borough of Croydon 2½ days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 31 October Oldham 7 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character, or those customarily held in remembrance of the dead 7 November Rochdale 7 days 252W253W
Class or classes of procession banned Date ban commenced District(s) Duration All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 4 December London Borough of Brent and Harrow 2½days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character 4 December Rochdale 7 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 11 December London Boroughs of Brent and Harrow 2½days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 19 December Rochdale 29 days 1982 All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 23 January Calderdale 9 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 30 January City of Coventry 9 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 6 February Calderdale (Halifax) 23 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 13 March London Borough of Southwark 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 26 March Kirklees 24 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 31 March North Bedfordshire 9 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 9 April London Boroughs of Hounslow, Hillingdon and Ealing 3 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character customarily held 31 July South Bedfordshire 9 days Luton All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character customarily held 28 August London Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham 3 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 11 September Metropolitan Police District 1 day All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 11 September City of London 1 day All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 23 October London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham 2 days 1983 All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 22 January London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond-upon-Thames 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 29 January London Borough of Bexley 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character customarily held 29 January Dartford 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 19 February London Borough of Southwark 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 19 February London Boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, Greenwich and Tower Hamlets 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character customarily held 23 April Slough 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character 16 July London Boroughs of Barking, Dagenham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Newham 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character customarily held 30 July London Borough of Haringey 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive and ceremonial character customarily held 30 July London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Enfield, Camden, Barnet and Tower Hamlets 2 days 1984 All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 27 January Sheffield 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 27 January North-East Derbyshire 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 27 January City of Bradford 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 27 January Chesterfield 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 27 January Rotherham 2 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character or those in remembrance of the dead 21 April City of Salford 7 days
Class or classes of procession banned Date ban commenced District(s) Duration All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial nature customarily held 12 October City of Bradford 2½ days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial nature customarily held 13 October City of Leeds 1½ days All public processions except those customarily held in connection with the annual Remembrance Day Services 2 November London Borough of Ealing 10 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial nature customarily held 17 November Metropolitan Police District 7 days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial nature customarily held 14 December London Borough of Newham 2 days 1985 All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 26 January City of Leeds 1½ days All public processions except those of a religious, educational, festive or ceremonial character customarily held 26 January City of Bradford 1½ days