§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances military police are entitled to photograph peace demonstrators after being arrested; if such photographs can be sent to the person or persons concerned; whether they are destroyed; and who can witness their destruction.
§ Mr. LeeIt is the usual practise of both the Ministry of Defence police and the Home Department police forces to photograph persons taken into custody and suspected of having committed a criminal offence. These photographs may be needed as evidence if a prosecution takes place but if no proceedings are taken, the photographs are destroyed. It would be administratively impracticable either to return unused photographs automatically or to invite witnesses to their destruction.