§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce restrictions upon practising freemasons in(a) the police, (b) the judiciary and (c) his Department. [135916]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Government have introduced voluntary registration of freemasonry membership in the judiciary and magistracy, the Crown Prosecution Service, the police service, and the prison and probation services. As the response rate to the voluntary registration scheme in the police service was too low to meet the Government's aim of having reasonable public transparency in this area, I am consulting the police service about how a more acceptable response rate can be achieved.