Rent Aid
5.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of police and prison warders, respectively, who arc in receipt of rent aid.
Five hundred and seventy-one prison officers and some 44,000 members of police forces in Eng- land and Wales, including auxiliaries, are in receipt of rent aid.
If they do, that is not a matter for me but for the Treasury.
Is my right hon. Friend aware that members of the Police Force who are in receipt of rent aid are often worse off financially than those who have accommodation provided?
I think that there are some areas of the country, undoubtedly, where the present scale of rent aid does not represent what the individual policeman may have to pay. I have recently had under consideration the difficulties that arise in certain areas.
Motorists (Blood Tests)
9.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will recommend to the police authorities that when samples of blood are taken on the instructions of the police from a motorist suspected of being under the influence of drink, one sample should be given to the motorist so that he may have a separate analysis made.
The law makes no provision for blood tests to be taken compulsorily in a case where a motorist is suspected of being under the influence of drink, and I am not aware of any cases in which these tests have been made on the instructions of the police. According to my information, where samples of blood have been taken from a motorist they have been taken at his own express request. It is, of course, open to a motorist to arrange for a separate analysis to be made. The difficulty in such cases would be to ensure that the analysis related to samples of blood taken from the defendant at the same time. If, however, the hon. and gallant Member has a particular case in mind, I shall be glad to consider it.
Is the Minister aware that it is a fairly regular practice in the Midlands for samples to be taken from suspected persons when they are in hospital receiving treatment for injuries sustained in a motor accident; and will he consider whether the practice, which is followed in the case of taking milk samples, of giving a duplicate to the suspected person, should not be followed when blood samples are taken?
My information is that this practice is not followed. If the hon. Member knows of such cases and will bring them to my notice, I will have the matter investigated.
I will do so.
I want to make it clear that, according to everything which is known at the Home Office, the police do not take these samples, and, if they did, it would clearly have to be the subject of some Regulation, so that the defendant might be in a position to produce his own independent expert evidence.
Has my right hon. Friend considered the necessity for some Regulation to regularise the practice, along the lines already practised in several other countries?
I understand that a practice of this kind prevails in some of the-States of the United States of America. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Manningham-Buller) for assuring me that he will bring particular cases to my notice. I am not convinced that it is necessary f0r the police to be given this power in England, but if the matter is brought further to my notice I will give it the most careful consideration.
Has it not been held in the courts that a person under the influence of alcohol cannot give his consent at all?
I understand that consent is not asked but that on occasion the person who is suspected to be under the influence of alcohol makes the offer. Whether in such circumstances the offer should be accepted is a matter which I leave to my hon. Friend, who is a solicitor.
Personal Case
12.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has considered a letter from ex-Constable Perrins in connection with an incident reflecting on the ex-constable's character, sent to him by the hon. Member for East Fife; and has he any statement to make.
Yes, Sir. I have considered this letter and replied to it on 14th November. As I said in my reply, I have gone fully into the case of ex-Police Constable Perrins, but I have not been able to find any grounds which would warrant any further action on my part.
Has the Minister not considered the letter in which it is made clear that at a social gathering a few weeks ago this man was pointed out as a thief, on the basis of a charge that was made against him by the Chief Constable several years ago? Is nothing to be done to remove the stigma from this man?
If an unjustifiable accusation is made against this man he has his own remedies, but that cannot be used as a reason why 1 should reopen a decision which was reached some time ago, in the period of office of one of my predecessors. It was debated in this House on the Adjournment on 28th March, 1944. I would point out that when the case was reheard this man was represented by counsel.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I propose to raise this matter again on the Adjournment.
Burglaries (London)
13.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that considerable public disquiet has been aroused by the outbursts of burglaries and hold-ups in London; and what steps he is taking to bring the situation under control.
The figures for these classes of offences certainly show an appreciable increase, which is due to a variety of causes, although I cannot agree that it is of such a nature as to suggest that the situation is out of control. Within the limits of the resources at present available to the police the Commissioner is organising appropriate counter-measures. Arrangements have been made to secure the early return of regular policemen from the Armed Forces and to accelerate recruitment.
Is the Minister aware that one of the most recent victims was myself, and that public anxiety is now acute?
I was burgled seven times in 13 years. Therefore the hon. and gallant Member may be assured that in his start to overtake that record he has my complete sympathy.
Is the Home Secretary aware that a considerable number of these offences are committed by men who are deserters from the Army and have no means? Cannot the Government consider some system of inducing these men to give themselves up under a policy of an amnesty, so that this position might be ended?
I have reason to think that the first part of the hon. Member's question is based on fact. The second part of it does not rest with my Department.