asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommendations have been made during the year 1970–71 by the Race Relations Research Committee set up by his Department under the chairmanship of Professor Kenneth Little ; what projects have been carried out as a result of such recommendations ; and to what extent any results have been evaluated.

I have nothing to add to the answers given to the Questions asked by my hon. Friend on 15th July.—[Vol. 821, c. 135–6.]

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of us feel that the work of this Committee has been disappointingly slow in a field which is crying out for new and constructive endeavours? Can he say a little more about the projects which are already in hand and also say why such a small proportion of the £15,000 allocated under the Race Relations Act has so far been spent? Will he do all he can to instil a sense of urgency into this Committee, particularly under its excellent new chairman?

I appreciate that there is some urgency in the matter. In fact, several projects have been supported by the Committee—first, research into information about immigrants in selected areas, which should be completed shortly ; secondly, research by social workers in the Leeds and Bradford areas, which will be finished next year ; and a grant has been made in connection with a study of problems facing Asian teenage girls. There are other projects as well.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now announce the result of his inquiry into the new evidence relating to the trial and execution of James Hanratty ; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement on the James Hanratty case.

In response to my invitation, Mr. Paul Foot has sent me a full and detailed letter, and I am giving the closest consideration to the points he makes. But I cannot make any further comment as I understand that a writ has now been issued in the High Court in respect of certain published material relevant to this matter.

Does the Home Secretary understand that we accept the need for the most careful consideration of this case and that we would not wish to rush it in any way? May I ask three questions? First, has the right hon. Gentleman seen Mr. Paul Foot, the author of this memorandum which has been sent to him? I understand that he has not. Secondly, has he in any way acquired further evidence from Mrs. Lanz whose statement about the case came to light after Mr. Foot had prepared the original memorandum, although she is mentioned in it? Thirdly, will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement whenever the result of his deliberations can be announced?

I have had this letter from Mr. Foot which I am having examined, and I will reply when the examination is concluded. If it is useful to have a meeting I will arrange one. I do not think it would be useful to comment further because I have not seen the terms of the writ which has been referred to.

While also appreciating the conscientious consideration that the Home Secretary has given to this matter and appreciating his present particular difficulties, nevertheless, may I ask him to give serious consideration to this aspect of the case—that there is, rightly or wrongly, considerable public disquiet and that probably the only way in which we can allay that disquiet is by having a public and open inquiry?

I agree that there is a great deal of public interest in the matter, but my responsibility will be the same however great or small the interest.

Would the issue of the High Court writ prevent the Home Secretary from reaching his conclusions, or can he go ahead and appoint an inquiry or tell us what his own views are at the end of the day despite this civil action?

I can certainly go ahead and I shall continue my investigation, but until I have seen the terms of the writ or taken legal advice I cannot say to what extent I am inhibited in taking action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue a circular to all police forces advising them to make regular arrangements to explain their work in schools and youth clubs.

Chief officers of police are aware of the need for close links with schools and youth clubs, and special schemes intended to promote a good relationship between children and the police are in operation in many police areas.

Would the hon. Gentleman not agree that if the present rate of crime is to be reduced, it is absolutely essential that young people should understand that the police are their friends and that the police should understand the problems of young people? Will the hon. Gentleman also not agree that the sort of schemes which he has indicated should be brought into operation everywhere in the country and not just in some places? Will he not, therefore, give appropriate instructions to all police forces to cooperate with schools and youth clubs to that effect?

Yes, I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman. In fact, in 1969 the Home Office sent out a circular to chief constables urging them to appoint school liaison officers. I know that in the area of the hon. Gentleman's constituency this has been done.

Can the Minister of State tell the House what is the number of juvenile bureaux at present in operation and how this number compares with 12 months ago? Will he accept that this development is a necessary complement to the operation of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1969?

I have not the figure in front of me, but I will let the hon. Member know.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make a further statement on probation officers' pay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the progress of negotiations within the Joint Negotiating Committee for the Probation Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the outcome of recent talks on pay in the probation service ; and if he will make a statement.

I am not yet in a position to add to the reply which I gave on 24th June to Questions by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Fowler) and the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renée Short).—[Vol. 819, c. 1564–6.]

In the meantime, what information is available to the Home Office about the number of probation officers who are leaving the service because of financial considerations?

We have a great deal of information about this, and I think that I gave the information to the House when I last answered Questions. In fact, the number involved is not as large as is often alleged, but that does not in any way detract from the importance of the issue.

I recognise the difficulties but, accepting that the net recruitment rate to the service is now about 200 a year, does my right hon. Friend think that he will be able to reach his target of 4,700 probation officers in the near future on the present terms?

I certainly agree that unless there is a settlement of this issue, the future looks very difficult, but I believe and hope that we shall reach a sensible settlement.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that at the St. Helens courts the probation officers have now had to reduce their services? In the light of this information, what is he prepared to do?

I do not know offhand about the situation in particular areas. If the hon. Gentleman will send me particulars, I shall be glad to look into them.

We are well aware of the need to conserve public expenditure and bring inflation under control, but does my right hon. Friend realise that the view is widespread that all the iacts here seem to point to the need for an early and generous settlement?

I do not dissent from that.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take it that, if time allowed, many hon. Members would wish to ask questions on this matter, as there is general concern about it and a widespread feeling that probation officers have a case? Despite the need to bring inflation under control, he will agree, surely, that 3,000 probation officers are not likely to wreck the economy. Will he not accept that the position is unsatisfactory and that, if his intentions for non-custodial treatment are to be implemented satisfactorily, there must be a big increase in the number of probation officers, and this means a further increase in pay over the current offer?

The previous offer was not, as is sometimes alleged, 8½ per cent. but about 13 per cent. altogether. As I say, further negotiations are in progress. I entirely accept the needs of this service and the great importance of reaching a settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to implement the recommendations of the Justice report on Home Office reviews of criminal convictions.

My right hon. Friend has studied this report, which was published in 1968. He is always ready to consider proposals for the improvement of existing procedures, but he is not convinced that these recommendations provide the right answer.

The years are passing. Has the hon. and learned Gentleman read the article in The Times today by his hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Fowler) about two murder cases which, on any showing, give rise to great anxiety? Has not the time come to provide some kind of institutional machinery which does not impose the burden of proving innocence?

The difficulty about the proposals of Justice and, I think, the fundamental objection to them, is that they would erect a procedure for review of decisions of the courts which would be both outside the jurisdiction of the judicial system and only nominally within Ministerial control. This, we feel, is a fatal flaw in the proposals made by Justice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance clarifying the regulations concerning British nationality and the rights conferred by British nationality.

I am sending my hon. Friend the explanatory material which is already freely made available.

Is my hon. Friend aware that there are several British families who have been serving the State for generations overseas but who are now no longer considered British? Is he aware, for example, that in one such family there are four children who, because each was born in a different place in the Commonwealth, are now each considered to have a different nationality? Is not this absurd, and cannot the regulations be modified?

Perhaps my hon. Friend will be good enough to look at the material which I have sent to him. I shall be very willing to discuss any individual case.

Could my hon. Friend ask his right hon. Friend whether I could have a reply to a letter which I wrote about two months ago concerning a case of this type? Both the grandfather and the father were born in the Commonwealth, one in India and one in Tanganyika, as it then was, both were English and always resident in this country, yet the man concerned now finds himself debarred from British citizenship. Do not cases of this kind call for special powers on the part of the Home Secretary? I had hoped that the Immigration Bill might be the place to provide for them.

I shall look into the reasons why my hon. Friend has not had a reply to his letter. He will appreciate that these cases are somewhat complex.

Is it not impossible to clarify the British Nationality Act, 1948, and does not the hon. Gentleman accept that what is required is a new citizenship Act as the only way to deal with the matter, not the nonsense about patriality which makes it even worse?

I recall that we discussed this on another occasion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to announce the result of the review of home defence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to make a statement about future organisation for dealing with emergencies in peace and war.

I hope to make an announcement before the House rises.

I fully understand my right hon. Friend's desire to have a comprehensive review, which must inevitably take time, but is he aware that his statement is eagerly awaited not least by the members of the voluntary civil aid services who have shown such a splendid spirit over the last few years?

I entirely accept that. I am sorry that this has taken so long, but, to be frank, I have been finding it more difficult than I expected.

In reaching his decisions on the matter, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the overwhelming advantages of having the same organisation dealing with emergencies in peacetime and in wartime?

I am well aware of my right hon. and learned Friend's views and I know that if I were to ignore them, I should be in serious trouble.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest available figures for accidents in the home ; and what action he is taking to help to reduce the number of such accidents.

In 1969, there were 5,853 fatal home accidents in England and Wales. The number of non-fatal accidents is not known. The Home Office engages in appropriate publicity, supports the home safety activities of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, promotes the safety of consumer goods in various ways, and co-operates with other Departments and organisations concerned with home safety.

Does not my hon. Friend accept that the figures are extremely serious and that on the basis of the evidence available, they represent a majority of accidental injuries? What action is he taking to identify the main causes of accidents in the home, and will he undertake a sustained campaign to seek to improve these figures.

I agree that the figures are serious, but I should not wish to overestimate the problem. The House will be glad to know that there has been a fairly steady decline in the number of home accidents over recent years. As for the causes, about 2,000 are caused by falls by old people, for reasons which are not always avoidable, and a large proportion of the remainder are caused by carelessness.

Will the hon. Gentleman accept that the loss of man-hours in industry due to this cause transcends the loss of man-hours due to industrial disputes, and will he not, therefore, acknowledge that if the Government paid as much attention and devoted as much energy to this subject as they devote to industrial disputes, that would be far more productive?

The hon. Gentleman is under some misapprehension. The Question relates to accidents in the home, not to accidents at work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present state of the law in relation to the conveyance of dangerous substances ; and if he will consider alteration of the law with a view to providing greater protection.

The Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances is considering a number of proposals for improving the arrangements for conveyance by road.

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that the latest regulations, brought into force this year, fall far short of what is required to meet the worrying situation in which many tankers carrying dangerous loads travel on the roads without any identification whatever, and that the emergency services which are expected to deal with accidents when they happen have no easy and clear means of identifying the substance being carried? What action is he taking to ensure that all dangerous substances are clearly labelled?

The problem is somewhat complex. The existing powers arise under the Explosives Act, 1875 and the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928. These powers are too narrow, and we are looking at the whole field of legislation in this respect.

Will not my hon. Friend agree that at least part of the trouble is that unsuitable vehicles are using unsuitable roads, and this is causing some of the problems? Will he review this aspect of the matter and see whether legislation is needed to deal with it?

That is part of the problem, but only part of it. As I have said, the problem goes much wider than that, and that is why we are examining it in the very widest context.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improvements he proposes in the married quarters of prison officers and their families in Portland.

Negotiations are in train to buy 47 new quarters. It is planned to build about 60 more. Night storage heaters are to be installed in existing quarters this year.

Would my hon. and learned Friend hurry these matters up? Is he aware that the agitation has been going on for many years? Not only do prison officers perform a most valuable public service, but by virtue of that service they have little choice where they live or the nature of the house in which they live. Therefore, they should have a degree of preference not accorded to all other persons.

I am fully aware of the concern expressed about the matter in Portland. Negotiations are at an advanced stage on the 47. The first of these houses should be ready in about 12 months, and all should be ready within 30 months. It is hoped to make a start on building the other 60 next year, but I will bear in mind what my hon. Friend said.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make compensation to Ronald John Barker arising from inquiries at the request of the right hon. Member for Leeds, West following this man's acquittal at a second trial.

I have considered the facts of this case most carefully, but I have been unable to find such grounds as would justify my right hon. Friend making an ex gratia payment from public funds.

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that I shall hardly be satisfied with that reply, bearing in mind that my first protest was made in January last year, when my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South-East (Mr. Callaghan) was Home Secretary, when I was asking for an inquiry following the first trial, which was most unsatisfactory? Is he aware that the man was acquitted at the second trial, but because of a sin of omission in court, £60 was mulcted from him towards the costs of his defence on his acquittal? I should have thought that that would have been refunded. Is the hon. and learned Gentleman also aware that the general situation is completely unsatisfactory, as the Court of Appeal found, because in effect the Lord Chief Justice reconvened the court on a second occasion after finding the evidence unsatisfactory, which was the ground on which I had proceeded all along? [HON. MEMBERS : "Too long."] I am sorry. This concerns one individual, and I will make myself heard. Eighty per cent. of the Questions asked in the House are asked by 30 per cent. of the Members. I do not know when I last asked a Question. I do not expect to be interrupted. [HON. MEMBERS : "Oh."] This House is useless unless it can defend the position of men who have been wronged. [Interruption.'] Vol. 821

Order. This is not the time to discuss the matter, but I find that interruptions always lengthen contributions.

The right hon. Gentleman asked me rather a large number of questions in his supplementary. It is not the case that £60 was mulcted from the man by an omission of the court. When he was convicted at his first trial the judge ordered that he should pay that sum towards his legal representation under legal aid, as allowed for in the Criminal Justice Act, 1967. He was acquitted at the retrial this year. The court had power to deal with that sum then had it wished, but I understand that no application was made for it to consider repayment of the £60. As to the right hon. Gentleman's other questions, the man appealed and time was given, for further inquiries to be made. As a. result of those further inquiries, additional evidence was put before the Court of Appeal, on the strength of which the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.

Is not this a most important issue, about which there is concern in the city of Leeds? It is probably inappropriate to follow the matter up at Question Time, so could not we have a full statement of the facts so that the House can consider the matter, which is a talking point in the city of Leeds about which people feel very strongly?

We should not get the matter out of proportion. The right hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. C. Pannell), who has pursued the question with great vigour, has his right to apply to Mr. Speaker for an Adjournment debate on it should he wish. I cannot believe that it would be right to ask for statements in the House every time a man who had been convicted at his first trial was acquitted on a retrial ordered by the Court of Appeal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take following the annual report of the Race Relations Board concerning discrimination in working men's clubs.

As court proceedings concerning clubs are pending, I should prefer not to comment for the present.

In that case, I should prefer not to comment either, but will the right hon. Gentleman undertake to say something to the House once the court proceedings are out of the way?

I will certainly consider that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has recently received on the operation of the laws governing obscenity ; and what replies he has sent.

I continue to receive a large number of complaints about offensive material of all kinds and requests for more restrictive legislation. In replies I have described the wide range of existing legal provisions, have made it clear that specific complaints should be addressed to the police, and have pointed out the difficulties in the way of further amendments of the law.

In view of the number of inquiries my right hon. Friend has received, could not he seek to shake off the indifference which his Department shows to a thorough-going review of the law of obscenity, over which public anxiety continues to mount? Would not it be much better to have an impartial Select Committee of the House appointed rather than leaving the matter to the private enterprise of Lord Longford?

The legislation against obscene publications is the Act of 1959, which was based on the recommendations of a Commons Select Committee. Under that Act there were no fewer than 163 prosecutions last year.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that probably no country in the world has a satisfactory law of obscenity? Does he agree that whatever he does about the law he will be criticised, because there will always be those who consider either that the law is too liberal or that it is too restrictive? Will he bear in mind that perhaps just for once the law is about right?

I am always prepared to consider suggestions for amending the law, but there are already laws being vigorously used, and a number of cases are before the courts.

While I accept what the hon. Member for Accrington (Mr. Arthur Davidson) said, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he agrees that the present working of the law seems to cause the maximum public aggravation? Therefore, is not there a case for looking, even slowly, at the present processes and seeing whether in new circumstances we could improve on them?

If it were possible to improve on the definition of obscenity in the 1959 Act, that would no doubt be a good thing to do, but I have not yet seen suggestions how such an improvement could be made. The police use their powers, and these matters have been before the courts on many occasions, and that seems the right way to go about things.

Does the right hon. Gentleman accept that the Amendment to the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act, which I proposed and which was inflicted on the Government by this House and improved in the other place, will have a good effect in reducing the quantity of offensive literature, not necessarily obscene, that people still receive in their home? Will the right hon. Gentleman draw the public's attention to that provision?

More than half the complaints from Members of Parliament refer to the Julian Press. Whether that provision will apply to it, I do not know, but I understand that it has withdrawn its circular.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the working of the parole system, following the latest report of the Parole Board ; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a Question by the hon. Member for Acton (Mr. Spearing) on 21st January.—[Vol. 809, c. 1255–6.]

I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for that reply. Aware though I am of the delicacy of the balance that must be struck by the Parole Board between administrative need and public confidence, will the Secretary of State, where it is within his power, lend his support to the working of the parole system in the direction of boldness rather than timidity?

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are well satisfied with the way in which the Parole Board is working, as the most recent figures show that about 6,500 prisoners have been released on parole since the scheme came into being, and I think that I am right in saying that only slightly over 300 have had to be recalled for any reason. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary can work only on the recommendations of the Board, which has recently been strengthened. It is doing a substantial and very important task.

In view of the undoubted success of the parole scheme, does my hon. and learned Friend agree that there is a strong case for increasing the limits to make more prisoners eligible for parole? Would not that have the advantage of perhaps reducing the pressure on prisons as well as making those released under parole subject to compulsory supervision?

The scope of the scheme is under review, as I think my hon. Friend knows. At the moment, it does not apply to anyone who is serving a sentence of 18 months or less. There are certain practical difficulties in lowering the threshold, including administrative difficulties in the additional burden this would put on the local review bodies and on the Parole Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to make a statement on the steps to be taken by Her Majesty's Government consequent upon the decision in Buckoke versus the Greater London Council.

My right hon. Friend is not yet ready to do so.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that drivers of police vehicles, fire appliances and ambulances should not, as they do now, have to run a hazard when they cross red lights when it is safe to do so? Is he further aware that the decision of the Court of Appeal was five months ago, on 15th February, when it recommended that there should be legislation? Legislation could easily be introduced to deal with this matter. Does he recall that the court described the activities of the Home Office with regard to this matter as being utterly pusillanimous?

Yes, Sir, but the court also made clear that opinion on this matter is by no means unanimous. I am considering with my Ministerial colleagues whether the law should be amended on the lines recommended by the court. Consultations must take place before this can be done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decision he has reached on the report of the Working Party on machinery for handling complaints against the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he now has to change the system for handling complaints against the police ; and whether he will make a further statement.

I have nothing to add at present to the reply I gave to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Fowler) on 18th March.—[Vol. 813, c. 367.]

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this is taking a terribly long time? In the meantime, a great deal of useful time is being occupied by senior officers of the police in these inquiries, yet it is accompanied by a great deal of public mistrust. If he were to include some lay representatives in the body eventually agreed upon, this would meet with considerable approval from the police themselves.

I agree that this is a very important matter but it is also very complicated and I am determined to get it right.

Does my right hon. Friend recognise that many of us have the greatest admiration for the exceptionally high standards of the police but that also we see the value of an independent check on complaints against them which would demonstrate to all that those complaints are dealt with in a fair manner?

It is already the case that any complaint involving the possibility of criminal offences is submitted to the Director of Public prosecutions.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that certain cases which involved trade unionists at Stockport and elsewhere have left a very difficult atmosphere amongst trade unionists? Is it not clear that this whole matter must be speeded up in order that everyone can be satisfied that there is an impartial inquiry into genuine complaints against police activity?

If the hon. Gentleman will send me details of any particular case, I will be glad to examine it.

Will the right hon. Gentleman accept that while, on the one hand, it is clear that a completely independent external inquiry would erode the morale of what is a disciplined service, nevertheless, on the other hand, it is highly unsatisfactory that any person should be a judge in his own suit and that any solution must be free from both of these evils?

I think that the hon. Gentleman has stated the dilemma extremely well. It is precisely this dilemma which makes for great difficulty in finding a solution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage increase in the number of immigrants plus dependants admitted to this country for permanent settlement in the last 12 month period for which figures are available as compared with the 12-month period immediately preceding it.

In the 12 months ended 31st May, 1971, there was a decrease, as compared with the previous 12 months, of 1·4 per cent. in the number of Commonwealth citizens including United Kingdom passport holders from East Africa, admitted for settlement.

In view of that reply, will the right hon. Gentleman take the opportunity of dissociating himself from the speech made by the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell) at Huddersfield on 7th July, when he sought, by the use of spurious statistics, to convince the gullible sections of the population that immigration is increasing?

I shall confine myself to giving the statistics available to me. If I commented on the statistics produced by other hon. and right hon. Members, I should have a busy life.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the decrease in the numbers is infinitesimal and that most ordinary English people are looking for a substantial decrease, and soon?

This involves United Kingdom passport holders and the rest of the Commonwealth. Admissions from the Commonwealth, excluding East Africa, have been falling substantially.

What is the reason for the substantial decline in the section to which the right hon. Gentleman has just referred?

There has been a reduction in the number of vouchers granted, and one expects the number of families coming in to decline.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for recording numbers, statistics and personal details of immigrants on computer.

None, Sir.

If the Department implements the new Immigration Bill, it will need computers or some kind of increased filing system to assist. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Department will have the capacity for doing this on the national police computer? If he goes on recording these statistics and details on a personal computer, will the work be covered by the Official Secrets Act? Departments will have access to the information? Will he give to the House a full explanation before any further progress is made?

As I understand it, no practical system has yet been devised for keeping these records on a computer. If such a scheme as that mentioned by the hon. Gentleman were brought into operation, the information obtained for the purposes of the Aliens Order and the Immigration Acts would not be given to any unauthorised persons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the shortage of personnel in the Metropolitan Police ; and having regard to prospective increases in unemployed persons under 21 years of age, what steps he is taking to popularise police careers and service.

It was 4,824 on 31st May. At this time of the year chief officers of police, including, particularly, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, mount special campaigns to attract school leavers to become police cadets.

Has my hon. Friend observed that this year about 500,000 school, college and university leavers are being put on a labour market where there are grossly insufficient vacancies to absorb them? As large numbers of these men and women are suitable material for police training, should there not be a special effort not only in the Metropolis but among all provincial police forces to bring their numbers up to full strength?

Yes, Sir. I hope that a large proportion of those leaving school with the necessary qualifications will apply for positions in the police forces. The Metropolitan Police have sent out a special letter to 1,700 headmasters in areas which have been good recruitment areas in the past, and I hope for some response to this.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that one of the sectors in which the police are grossly deficient and under establishment is that of the traffic wardens? Is he aware that they are particularly short of traffic wardens who are prepared to operate during the night and that such wardens are the kind needed to remove from London streets lorries parked overnight, which cause so much disturbance at five o'clock in the morning? What action has he taken in the last year to deal with this problem?

The question related to policemen. If the hon. Gentleman will put down a question about traffic wardens, I will let him have the information.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the question also referred to unemployed persons? While we all want to see the police at full strength, has the hon. Gentleman noticed that there are today 829,000 men and women out of work in the country? Is it not about time that this reproach to the Government was removed and that, instead of being asked to provide recruits to the police, these men and women were put back into their own jobs?

The Question related to the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities are now using computer techniques in compiling and keeping up to date the election register ; and what recent assessment he has made of the feasibility of producing a register which could be constantly revised throughout the year, thereby removing the need for a single qualifying date.

The answer to the first part of the Question, for England and Wales, is about a fifth : and, to the second, that my right hon. Friend believes that accuracy requires the retention of a fixed qualifying date.

Will the hon. Gentleman keep this matter under constant review? Is he aware that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of voters are effectively disfranchised by the traditional procedures? Can he be satisfied with the present situation?

This was examined by the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police Joint A.D.P. unit and there is a report on it in the Library. It concluded that on present indications continual revision of the register would be less accurate than the present system and was ruled out on those grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete his review of the issues raised by suggestions for amendment of the law to allow the promotion of lotteries for charitable and other purposes, in view of the decision of the House of Lords in the case of Singette versus Martin ; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to complete this in the course of next year.

When the review is completed, will the Secretary of State consider the institution of a Government lottery for cancer research? Would not there be widespread support for such a proposal to provide the funds sorely needed to rid mankind of its last undefeated scourge?

One reason for setting up the review is the demand for national lotteries, local authority lotteries, for charities to run lotteries and for newspapers to run spot-the-ball competitions. All these matters have to be looked at together, and my right hon. Friend can take a decision only when he has considered the result of the review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the current Parliamentary Register shows that, on the revised constituency boundaries promulgated in the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order, 1969 there are 20 constituencies with an excess over the prescribed electoral quota exceeding 20,000 electors and 20 constituencies with a shortfall below the said quota exceeding 17,000 electors ; what steps he proposes to take to deal with these anomalies.

These are matters to be dealt with in the next general review by the Boundary Commission.

Is not the position already very much out of date, and is it not a little hard that in constituencies such as mine redistribution has had the effect of severing old and valued associations without bringing about any sensible electoral result? Will not my right hon. Friend look at this again to see whether we should not revise the procedures to make them more prompt and punctual?

That would involve legislation. The Boundary Commission is required by Statute to report within 10 to 15 years of the date of its last report, that is to say, between 1979 and 1985, and that is the law.

Bearing in mind the long period that has to elapse before the general review, will the right hon. Gentleman advise the House at what stage minor reviews could take place in the distribution of seats?

I think I am right in saying that the Commission has power within its discretion to make interim reviews, but these are normally confined to small matters and not to the general principle referred to in the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why there is a taxi rank in Hall Road, London N.W.8.

This is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I understand that there has been a rank in Hall Road for over 70 years and that no objection has been raised to it since it was last appointed in 1957.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the telephone was taken away from this rank more than four years ago, that the last time any taxi cab plied for hire on the rank was in 1968 and that, notwithstanding these facts, the frontage of a large area has been sterilised and a lot of money has recently been spent on renewing the pavement markings? Will he ask his friend the Commissioner to stop wasting public money in this way?

Certainly, Sir, I will look to see whether the situation has changed in the last 70 years and whether the markings are still necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now had an opportunity of considering the recommendations of his Advisory Council on the Penal System for rationalising and strengthening the various powers of the courts to order the offenders to make reparations, including the proposal for an experimental scheme whereby selected offenders would be made bankrupt with a view to the distribution of their assets to their victims ; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to introduce legislation, when there is a suitable opportunity, to implement the Advisory Council's recommendations concerning the powers of the courts to order reparation. The proposal for an experimental scheme of criminal bankruptcy raises some complex practical issues, which are being studied.

I thank the Minister for his helpful reply and suggest that he might have a word with the Leader of the House to the effect that there would be plenty of opportunity for legislation on this important subject if he dropped the proposed legislation concerning the Common Market?

The hon. Gentleman should await the outcome of future Queen's Speeches to see when there will be an opportunity to implement this report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that Mr. Mohammed Ally, who is the subject of a recommendation for deportation by Stoke Newington Magistrates' Court, was given a warning when he applied for a National Insurance card in 1969 that he was not entitled to take a job in this country ; and if he will give consideration to the representations he has received on this case.

When Mr. Mohammed Ally was admitted to the United Kingdom as a visitor in 1969 his pasport was endorsed with a condition prohibiting his taking employment. Before deciding whether to make a deportation order, my right hon. Friend will take into account the representations that have been made on his behalf.

Will the Minister bear in mind that Mr. Ally understood in good faith that the award of an insurance card meant that he was entitled to take a job and that Mr. Ally is in a job where he is very much wanted by his employer? Will the Minister also bear in mind that if Mr. Ally is required to leave the country, as a citizen of Mauritius and speaking good French, he will go to France and not back to Mauritius? If he stays there for a short time he will become a French citizen and, when we join the Common Market, will be able to come back to this country without let or hindrance by the Home Secretary?

My right hon. Friend will, of course, take into account the various representations, including the information given by the hon. Gentleman, in deciding this case.