§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been arrested at Royal Air Force Greenham common and Royal Air Force Molesworth for offences under the Military Lands Act byelaws; what is the maximum period any such person has been detained following arrest; how many such persons have been photographed after they had indicated their unwillingness 57W to be photographed; and what steps have been taken to provide suitable premises and training for his Department's police officers, including his Department's criminal investigation department officers, to ensure that the judges' rules are followed after arrests for byelaw offences.
§ Mr. LeeByelaws at RAF Greenham common and RAF Molesworth came into operation on 1 April 1985. By 30 April 139 persons at Greenham common and 18 at Molesworth had been arrested by Ministry of Defence police officers for offences against the byelaws. Information about the maximum time for which any such offender has been detained could not be provided without disproportionate effort, but it is in the police interest to deal with every case as quickly as possible.
It is not possible to state how many persons have been photographed who have indicated an unwillingness to be photographed, because there is no statutory requirement for such a record to be kept.
Temporary accommodation has been provided at RAF Greenham common and RAF Molesworth so that the questionning of suspected offenders can be carried out separately from the normal work of the establishments. This accommodation is considered to be adequate for the purpose.
Ministry of Defence police detective officers attend appropriate courses run by Home Office police forces. All officers, both detective and uniformed, are required to be conversant with the Judges' Rules and the fact that an officer's actions may subsequently be questioned in court ensures that the rules are applied to the letter.