asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to protect the right to personal privacy as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

My right hon. Friend is keeping this important question under review, but is not satisfied that legislation is called for at present.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the great concern which is felt about the use of a private agency by a London borough to expel squatters from premises? Is he also aware that many reputable people in business as private detectives would welcome some control?

I think that my hon. Friend is perhaps referring to Question No. 3. I am aware that he succeeded on 30th April in obtaining a First Reading for his Bill, but the matters raised there were mainly for my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the participation of members of the Metropolitan police in the Anguilla operation.

There are at present 86 police officers and two civilian technicians on Anguilla. Sixty-nine police officers and one civilian have returned from Anguilla to duty with the Metropolitan police.

In view of the number of policemen in Anguilla, will the Home Secretary say how many people have been arrested for murder and arson, which were two reasons given by the Foreign Secretary for the invasion of Anguilla? Secondly, what progress is being made in training the Anguillan police force?

Questions of policy and the results of the operation are matters for the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary; they do not come under my direct responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what chemical weapons were at the disposal of members of the Metropolitan Police Force in the Anguilla operation.

No such weapons are held by the Metropolitan Police contingent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to control the activities of private detectives.

My right hon. Friend does not think that he would be justified in doing so.

May I apologise to my hon. Friend and ask the supplementary question which I intended to ask on Question No. 1? Is my hon. Friend aware of the great concern on this matter which has been expressed in the many Private Members' Bills introduced by hon. Members on both sides of the House?

I would not deny that there are certain problems, but I do not concede that they are such as to demand the course which is pressed upon me by my hon. Friend.

Will the Minister consult his noble friend the Lord Chancellor, who I know to be very interested in both these questions, and will he seriously consider whether, independently of the general right to privacy, bugging and industrial espionage should be separately dealt with?

Industial espionage, in the sense of prying into industrial secrets, is a matter for the Board of trade and not for the Home Office.

Will the Home Office and any other Department concerned with this matter resist the blandishments of the right hon. and learned Member for St. Marylebone (Mr. Hogg) to deal piecemeal with the question of privacy, since the principles that underlie any particular aspect of intrusion into privacy relate also to every other intrusion into privacy? What is required is a general law of privacy, towards which the rest of the world is beginning to move while we are lagging behind.

These questions range very much wider than Question No. 3, which deals with private detectives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the policy of making it mandatory for dependants of Commonwealth citizens to have entry certificates before being able to come to the United Kingdom; and what replies he has sent.

I have written to my hon. Friend about representations from the National Council of Civil Liberties, and similar replies have been sent to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the Yorkshire Committee for Community Relations. The few other communications received have been in support of the change.

is my hon. Friend satisfied that under the new system genuine dependants of Commonwealth immigrants in Britain will have no more difficulty in coming to this country than before? Second, is it possible for the Select Committee on Race Relations to visit the countries concerned?

In general, the answer to the first part of the question is "Yes". The second part of the question is not a matter for my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up a committee of inquiry into the problem of the long-term prisoner, with instructions to examine possible new methods and techniques of confining and employing such persons so that they do not degenerate physically and mentally.

The régime for longterm prisoners who require conditions of maximum security was the subject of a report made last year by the Advisory Council on the Penal System. I do not at present contemplate any further formal inquiry, but the treatment of long-term prisoners is under constant consideration by my Department.

Does the Home Secretary agree that, while it is essential that very serious offenders should be kept out of normal society for long periods, this must be done with reasonable humanity? As we are now faced with prisoners confined for 30 years or more, could not an inquiry be held to consider how, in some cases, a living death can be avoided?

While I agree with the way in which the hon. Gentleman puts the general consideration, I do not accept the reference in the last part of his question to a living death. I do not think that a new committee would help. A very distinguished group of people is advising us constantly on these matters. If it will help the House, the questions that have been and are being considered, within the limits of the need for proper security and the degree of criminal sophistication of the prisoner, include such matters as work opportunities, association with other prisoners, education, including vocational training and physical education, the need to build up family ties, and home leave. All these are ways in which we can try to avoid the rather exaggerated conclusion reached by the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will invite a specialist firm experienced in organisation and methods analysis to examine the efficiency of operation of those British intelligence services, details of whose activities are made public.

The expert advice of the management services of the Civil Service Department is available and I do not need to call in a specialist outside firm.

Does my right hon. Friend not agree that it is time that the Secret Service became a little more secret? Would he not agree that the behaviour of Mr. Greville Wynne in announcing that he had been a spy all along may effectively have pulled the rug from under Mr. Gerald Brooke's protestations of innocence? Would he not agree that while we are about it we could stop the Departmental battle on leaks which, if this morning's Press is to be believed, appears to have taken place over the Krogers?

None of these matters would be helped very much by an investigation into organisation and methods, but I do not accept that the case of Gerald Brooke should be considered on anything but its merits, which are not related in any sense to those of a professional spy.

Does not the Question asked by the hon. Member for Bebington (Mr. Brooks) show that he does not understand how the Secret Service works?

I do not know whether the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) is claiming any greater knowledge. I was not aware that he had any. If he has, he should not have it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why customs officials seized two books, Li Yu's Jon Pu Tuan and Amorous Drawings of the Marquis von Bayros, sent to Mr. Roy by the Evergreen Book Club; and why Mr. Roy was sent for by the police and threatened with prosecution, in view of the fact that he was the recipient of a parcel he had not ordered.

I understand that a package addressed to Mr. Roy was opened by Post Office officials in the course of normal Customs examination of parcels from abroad. The books inside appeared to be prohibited from the post under Section 11(1,b) of the Post Office Act, 1953 and were passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who asked the police to make inquiries, as a result of which he decided to take no further action.

Would my hon. Friend say what literary agency advises Customs officials, in view of the fact that these books are on sale all over London? Would it not help if the Customs officials were to publish a list of prohibited books so that people would not make mistakes of this sort?

The question of the performance of the Customs is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who doubtless will take into account what my hon. Friend has said.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to make the orders to put into effect the recommendations of each of the Boundaries Commissions, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to take action on the Report of the Parliamentary Boundaries Commission.

I will put my conclusions before the House later this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, if I catch your eye.

Since the Prime Minister has received a report that the implementation of the Boundary Commissions' proposals would benefit him electorally, why does he not run true to form and implement them straight away without further ado?

I am sorry that in this matter the hon. Member's eye is constantly on party advantage. It should not be.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what request was made by the Metropolitan Police to the British Broadcasting Corporation regarding the broadcasting of radio appeals for murder witnesses.

The Commissioner of Police has frequently made such requests. If the hon. Member's Question relates to a broadcast on 14th May, I would refer him to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Whitaker) on 23rd May, 1969.—[Vol. 384, c. 155.]

Is it not a fact that the B.B.C. censored the particular appeal required by the police to trace a murder witness solely on the ground that it contained reference to the fact that the suspect's car carried a sticker proclaiming "Dirty car—dirty weekend"? Would the Minister not agree that the censoring of such a vital and descriptive clue is an example of misplaced prudery by a corporation which is not usually over-sensitive to the broadcasting of suggestive materials?

It is not for me to comment on prudery. It is for the B.B.C. in any instance to decide what material should be broadcast. I understand that in the event the witness was traced and found to be unconnected with the murder.

What is the Minister's general policy towards these requests? Will he clearly tell the B.B.C. that it is part of its national duty to assist the police in these matters?

It would not be proper for me to say any more than that the Commissioner regrets that the words were omitted. However, the words were printed in the Press.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in the course of their duty were threatened with firearms, how many were shot at, how many wounded and how many killed by firearms in 1964 and in each subsequent year.

These statistics are fully available for England and Wales only for 1968, when there were 23 offences in which police officers were threatened with firearms, and 12 in which police officers were shot at, including three in which they were injured.

Will the Home Secretary agree that there has been a most regrettable increase in the number of cases where police have been shot at or threatened by firearms? Will he further agree that the increase has been most marked since criminals have ceased to be deterred from shooting their way out by fear of capital punishment?

I have no information to support the first part of the hon. Member's supplementary question because no such statistics exist before 1968. I have given the hon. Member such inforniation as I have. It is true that the number of indictable offences involving firearms rose in 1967 and 1968; those resulting in physical injury fell. I do not believe that one can draw a parallel between this and the present absence of capital punishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost to public funds of the publicity being given to the change of the colour code used in three-core electrical flexes.

About £85,000. Considerable publicity is also being arranged by the Electricity Council and area boards, as well as by safety and trade organisations.

Does the hon. Gentleman believe that that amount of expenditure is really necessary in view of the fact that the regulations require that explanatory labels should be fitted to all flexes on appliances sold in this country up to 1st January, 1977?

We still think that it is necessary to do this. In the first phase when the old type of flex will still be in use we shall be distributing five million leaflets, films and so on. In the second phase we shall be distributing 17 million colour code cards. We think that it is necessary to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now introduce legislation for the control of fireworks.

The manufacture, conveyance and storage of fireworks are already subject to statutory control; the sale of fireworks to children apparently under the age of 13 is forbidden; and it is an offence to discharge fireworks in a street or public place. I am not convinced that there is a need at present for further legislation.

Would not the Under-Secretary agree that the figures do not bear out his Answer, that there is a growing number of accidents involving children, that in other countries controls are legislatively enforced, and that the only way in which to bring about a reduction in the number of accidents is for the Government to take action?

The number of severe injuries fell. I accept that the number of injuries overall increased last year for the first time. We have looked at the matter most carefully and consider that legislation itself is not the complete answer. I stick by the Answer I gave, that we are not convinced of the need for further legislation.

Would my hon. Friend not agree that, despite what he has said, there might be a case to be made out for restricting the length of time during which fireworks may be on sale before 5th November? Is he aware that many elderly people are troubled by this matter for many weeks before that date? Perhaps the point could be considered.

I will look at the matter again. There is the problem of distribution and storage, but I will look at that precise point because I know that it worries many people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many garages were prosecuted in 1968 for issuing the Ministry of Transport V.T. 20 test certificates for vehicles which were unsound.

Provisional figures indicate that there were 88 prosecutions in England and Wales during 1968 for issuing false test certificates.

While thanking the hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask whether he is aware that these certificates can easily be bought at garages for quite small bribes? What further measures does he plan to bring in to safeguard, in particular, second-hand car buyers against this type of swindle?

I appreciate what the hon. Gentleman says. Any proposal for changing the criteria for the authorisation of the way in which these tests are to be carried out is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has now had with the Association of Child Care Officers concerning their representations about local authorities which are reorganising social welfare services before the Government have announced their policy towards the Seebohm Report.

My right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services and I received a deputation on 7th May from this Association, the Standing Conference of Organisations of Social Workers, and the Seebohm Implementation Action Group.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that helpful reply, can he say what action will be taken, and how soon, to alleviate the acute anxiety among members of this association?

Yes, Sir; I appreciate that there is anxiety amongst the members of the association. My right hon. Friend and I have agreed, as we have stated repeatedly in this House, to ask local authorities not to contemplate changes in advance of the Government's decision in the matter, which clearly must now be taken in the light of the proposals made in the Redcliffe-Maud Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now arrange for the publication of the Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for the year 1968, the Report of the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis for the year 1968, and of the Criminal Statistics for England and Wales for 1968.

The Commissioner's Report was published on 10th June, and I expect the other two to be published within the next few weeks.

I am obliged to the hon. Gentleman for that reply. Does he not agree that midsummer 1969 is a long time to have to wait for reports relating to 1968? In any event, will he guarantee that before we rise for the Summer Recess we shall have an opportunity to debate these very important reports?

The second question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House. As for the first question, these are detailed figures and compilations, and they take a considerable time to put together.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with present procedures for investigating complaints against the police, in the light of his review of the matter; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the recent concern at present methods of investigating public complaints against the police, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for South Bedfordshire, he will now set up an independent council to investigate public complaints against the police.

The Royal Commission on the Police, which reported in 1962, proposed the main features of the system for dealing with complaints which is embodied in the Police Act 1964. I keep the working of the procedures under review.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the large majority of complaints against the police are probably frivolous and ought not to be brought? Does not he further agree that whereas in most, if not all, cases justice is done, the problem is that it should be seen to be done? What steps is he taking to reassure the public of this fact?

My experience is that justice is done in the great majority of cases, and I would not dissent from the way that the hon. Gentleman puts his point. I am sure that it is remembered by the public that a great many of these complaints come from malicious criminals who are ill-disposed and, because the police deal with these criminals, factors combine to make them an easy target. I note with interest the opinions expressed by the Chairman of the Police Federation the other day. I should be happy to discuss the matter with the Federation, because I want to see the two elements reconciled.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, in addition to so-called malicious complaints, there is a percentage of complaints which can be called trivial? Some people consider that the police show exemplary patience and do a good job under what often are trying circumstances.

I am obliged to my hon. Friend, and I think that that is the general view. Nevertheless, the police themselves are conscious of the need for public opinion to be satisfied about these matters, and I would not despair of making such a proposal to them. On the other hand, I wish to emphasise if I can that my experience—and it is a personal one—is that in the great majority of cases the police act in an extremely tough way against any member of their service who is found to have acted improperly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has decided to classify a fireman as being officially on emergency duty only when dealing with a conflagration.

Section 3(1)(e) of the Fire Services Act, 1947 empowers a fire authority to employ its brigade for purposes other than fire-fighting for which it appears to the authority to be suitable. If the hon. Member has in mind the question of entitlement to augmented pensions and gratuities for widows in respect of the deaths of firemen, I would refer her to the reply I gave to the Questions by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, Langstone (Mr. Ian Lloyd) and my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Whitaker) on 16th June.—[Vol. 785, c. 28–9.]

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether it is true that a recent ruling dictates that the job on which a fireman is engaged when he receives injuries from which he subsequently dies alters considerably the pension which his widow receives?

A change was made last year in an attempt to make firemen analogous with the police. It meant that the widow of a fireman who was not engaged in fire duties may not have received the higher rate of pension. We have considered that in the context of the procedures, and a change has now been made. I think that that is what I said previously.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the widespread welcome given to his right hon. Friend's decision to extend the provisions of the pension scheme of which he has just been speaking? Is it not another example of long overdue provisions being brought in by this Government which should have been brought in a long time ago?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will obtain a report from the Chief Constable on the circumstances under which police were authorised to evict elected councillors of the Garforth Urban District Council from their Council Chamber on 2nd June, 1969.

Two police officers attended a private meeting of the housing committee in chambers at the request of the clerk of the council. These officers, who went there solely to prevent any possible breach of the peace, were told that four councillors, who were not members of the committee, had stopped the business of the meeting proceeding by declining to leave when asked to do so by the chairman. The councillors concerned left the meeting at the invitation of the senior police officer.

Does the hon. Gentleman's right hon. Friend appreciate that the reason for which some of the Conservative councillors were sitting in at the meeting is that the majority party has disbarred any member of the opposition on the council from taking his place on any standing committee? [HON. MEMBERS: "Scandalous!"] As they represent over a third of the elected members of the council, does he not believe that it is obnoxious for the police to be prayed in aid for this sort of local petty tyranny?

I cannot say whether the facts alleged by the hon. Gentleman are true. It is not for me to comment upon what Labour councillors might do in the circumstances or what Conservative councillors might do in similar circumstances. Where, in connection with a meeting on private premises, a constable has reasonable grounds to apprehend a possible breach of the peace, he is entitled to enter and remain on the premises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average fine for the offence of shoplifting during the last convenient year and for previous years for which the figures are available; if he is satisfied that the penalties for shoplifting in England and Wales are a sufficient deterrent to offenders; and if he will make a statement.

In each of the years 1966, 1967 and 1968 the average fine imposed by courts in England and Wales for stealing from shops and stalls was £9. The maximum fine on summary conviction of this offence is £400; there is no limit to the fine that may be imposed on conviction on indictment. In either case imprisonment may also tie ordered. The penalty imposed in any particular case is within the discretion of the court.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that convictions for larceny from shops have doubled in the years 1960 to 1967? Is he further aware of the grave concern of retailers about the loss occasioned thereby? Does not he think that an average fine of £9 when the maximum fine is £400 indicates that the courts are treating the matter a little lightly?

I am aware of the increase complained of by the hon. Gentleman, but the rate of increase for this offence is not disproportionate to the increase in crime generally. Within the maxima imposed by Statute, it is for the courts to decide, after considering all the facts of a case and the circumstances of the offender, what should be the right penalty to impose. It is not for the Executive to interfere in such a matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish the report of the inquiry into the allegations of brutality of prison staff at Parkhurst.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why he does not propose to take proceedings against prisoners at Parkhurst Prison who recently made allegations of brutality on the part of prison officers which inquiry failed to substantiate;

I see no reason for departing from the normal practice not to publish the report of the inquiry by an officer of the Department. I consider that the incidents examined arose from the inherently difficult situation at Park-hurst Prison and the physical conditions there, and that it is not necessary to institute disciplinary proceedings against any prison officer or prisoner.

As these prison officers have been cleared of very damaging allegations and as no charges have been made against any of the prisoners who gave evidence, who were warned that if they gave evidence they could be subject to disciplinary action, does my right hon. Friend not think that it is in the interests both of the prisoners and of the prison officers that this report should be published so that the public can properly evaluate the evidence?

No, I do not think that that is the right way of handling it. This was an inquiry made by one of my officers. The report was made to me, and I considered the matter very carefully. I must ask the House to leave me some discretion, because my responsibility is the total welfare and well being of that prison and all who are there—both prisoners and prison officers. In all the circumstances, I believe that the best way of achieving a high standard of morale and good relations between the two is not to prefer charges and not to publicise the report.

Does the Home Secretary agree that the worst way of trying to maintain morale is by setting up inquiries when complaints have not been made through the authorised channels? Does he not consider that it creates bad will among prison officers, as it has, just to act on a report in a Sunday newspaper based on a letter which has been smuggled out of prison?

I should, naturally, prefer all allegations to be made through the proper channels. But it is the job of a Minister to decide whether to ignore them because they are made through improper channels or to investigate them in the best interests of all concerned. This matter must be left to my judgment. It would have been regarded as pretty irresponsible if I totally ignored 120 signatures because they had not gone through the normal channels.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will obtain from the Chief Constable an estimate of the number of illegal immigrants who have entered this country by the Brownsea Island route.

The chief constable tells me that the only illegal landing known to have taken place in Dorset was that on 15th March, 1969, involving ten men, who have since been returned to India.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the B.B.C., in a stunt programme on 30th May, depicted the importation of an entire Indian family in broad daylight without let or hindrance? However irresponsible that programme may have been—and the Minister may care to comment on that—does it not reveal a disturbing state of affairs, and may I ask what action is being taken?

If the B.B.C. believes that the way to stop illegal entrants is to have, right the way along the south coast, a long range of policemen with glasses, as if an invasion is taking place, then it is even sillier than the silly stunt that it put on. When people are picked up on the Basingstoke bypass after a landing, it is not by luck. I think that the hon. Gentleman can leave the police to pursue the policy that they aready follow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce regulations to prevent the use of chloroform in toothpaste made or sold in the United Kingdom.

I have received no criticism to suggest the need for this, but I shall be glad to consider any information which my hon. Friend may wish to send me.

Will my hon. Friend confirm that toothpaste made in the United States to a formula containing three to five per cent. chloroform is sold without restriction in this country? If so, is not this a grave misuse of a toxic drug and does it not underline the need for some kind of regulation or more informative labelling of toilet preparations?

The position, broadly, is that chloroform has been included in Part 1 of the Poisons List since its first promulgation in 1935. At present, substances containing less than one per cent. of chloroform, solid preparations and toothpaste, are specifically exempted from control. I know of three brands of toothpaste, which I will not name, containing chloroform, but I have no information to suggest that their use may have harmful effects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will institute an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the suppression by the Criminal Record Office of data concerning a prosecution witness in the case of Crown versus John Lovesay and Anthony Peterson, whose name has been sent to him.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the information was not suppressed. The convictions were in names other than that by which the witness was known at the time of the trial, and had not then been traced.

Will my hon. Friend explain to the House the serious discrepancies between the reply sent by Mr. Palmes of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Office on 10th February and that subsequently sent by Mr. F. A. Lance? The information given about the name of the witness was the same in both instances.

My instructions are that there is no question whatsoever of suppression of records. The witness had come to the knowledge of the police under five separate names, and these differed from the name now used by that lady.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young girls and boys who have not committed any criminal offence are now in approved schools.

On 30th April, 374 boys and 742 girls in England and Wales.

Is my hon. Friend aware that, whatever may be the law on the subject, the general public is shocked and horrified by the large number of young people who are sent to approved schools without any criminal charge being made against them? Will the Home Office really apply its mind to the provision of some alternative method of dealing with this category of case and make sure that the parents or guardians of the young people concerned are told that legal aid is available, if required, and that the right of appeal is also available to them?

My hon. Friend refers to alternative methods. He will be aware of the provisions of the Children and Young Persons Bill now before Parliament. A balance has to be maintained here between the right of the young person not to be put in such a place and the need to protect the young person from some very real perils in many of these cases.

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the new Bill will not necessarily mean that the same situation does not obtain? That being the case, does he agree that there is a case for seperating these youngsters who have committed no crime to prevent them from being contaminated by others who possibly have?

I am not sure that the word "contaminated" is properly used. I have given undertakings during the proceedings on the Bill that there will be no admixture of various groups to the detriment of any of the young persons concerned.

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg leave to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet completed his interim review of British Standard Time; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about his interim assessment of the effects of British Standard Time.

Yes, Sir. An interim assessment has been made based on a study of road accident figures—which I am publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT—and of the available statistics of accidents in industry and agriculture during the past winter. The views volunteered by representative organisations have also been examined, together with correspondence from members of the public.

Is the Home Secretary aware that that answer will cause despair throughout Scotland and, I suspect, in many parts of the North of England as well?

The hon. Gentleman clearly does not wish to wait for the comprehensive review which Parliament agreed should be undertaken at the end of two winters.

In order to take the emotional heat out of the question, will my right hon. Friend undertake to publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the accident statistics which he mentioned, and, if possible, to separate the English figures from the Scottish ones?

I shall publish them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I am not sure whether I can separate them, but they show that the exaggerated fears expressed by the hon. Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne), and by many others, are not borne out. I am delighted to say that there were fewer accidents than in the corresponding period the year before in the relevant hours of darkness. I do not wish to place too much weight on this because it is only one winter and the figures vary a great deal, but it exposes the case against exaggeration in this matter.

Was the review limited to statistics of accidents on the roads and in industry, or did it take into account the attitude of citizens? If it did not, will the right hon. Gentleman consider having such a review before he finally makes up his mind?

I assure the hon. Lady that I have an analysis made of letters I receive from the public as well as from organisations which wish to put views to me. When the social survey is made after next winter it will be on a completely comprehensive basis, and I hope that we shall be able to get a very full picture about the way in which people look at this situation.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I give notice that I shall seek to raise this matter on the Adjournment.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the supplementary question, I give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate and make recommendations on the use of animals for experiments, at a time when the animals are still alive.

No, Sir.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is not only the anti-vivisectionist lobby that is worried about laboratory experiments? Is it not time that some kind of code of conduct was established?

As soon as legislative time can be found we shall implement the Littlewood Committee's Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the shortage of accommodation for constables of the Hampshire police authority living in Portsmouth, he will give approval to expenditure on additional accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

The police housing programme is primarily a matter for the Hampshire police authority; my right hon. Friend has agreed to the authority's proposals for housing expenditure in the current year. I am not aware of any special difficulty at Portsmouth.

Is my hon. Friend aware that public attention has been drawn to this due to a recent statement by the chief constable that there is concern about the impact on morale and a possible impact on recruiting due to the shortage of housing, and will he contemplate taking special action in this respect?

The police authority has put forward a scheme whereby loans can be made to police officers who wish to become owner-occupiers. This scheme makes special arrangements to cover the difficulties which arise when a police officer has to transfer to another part of the force area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to deal with the increased number of armed assaults in the Metropolitan police area, which were 31 per cent. more in 1968 than in 1967.

The Commissioner informs me that the investigation and clearing up of cases involving these serious offences is receiving the particular attention of the Flying Squad and of the regional crime squads. I take this opportunity of reminding the House that Parliament has given the courts powers to impose heavy penalties for such crimes.

That may be so, but will my right hon. Friend do what he can—I know it is very limited—to ensure that when these cases come before the courts very heavy penalties are imposed, and, second, that some further tightening-up is carried out with regard to the sale of weapons generally?

I do not think I can comment on the practice of the courts in imposing penalties, but as regards the use and possession of firearms there has been a substantial tightening-up in recent years, including the Firearms Act of 1965, the Criminal Justice Act of 1967, and the Firearms Act of 1968, but they are, alas, still easy to come by.

Is not the increase in the number of armed assaults with intent to rob, and armed robberies, in the metropolitan area particularly disappointing in the light of the fact that Parliament has given the Government this increased power to control the use of firearms? Can the right hon. Gentleman offer any explanation for these deteriorating figures?

I think that we must be careful about reading too much into one year's figures. If, for example, we consider the number of offences of robbery and assault with intent to rob, we see that between 1967 and 1968 these decreased by a little over 5 per cent. I think that we must have a run of these figures and put them together.