To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received urging that police requests for media film should relate only to cases where they are pursuing a specific arrestable offence and not to gathering intelligence; and if he will make a statement.

I have recently corresponded on this subject with representatives of the media. It is for the courts to decide whether a police application for access to journalistic material satisfies the criterion that it is likely to be of substantial value to the investigation of a serious arrestable offence.