asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now allow Mr. N. S. Sandhu to enter the United Kingdom.

No, Sir. I can see no grounds for dissenting from the entry certificate officer's decision that Mr. Sandhu is not qualified for admission under the Immigration Rules. But it is open to Mr. Sandhu to make a fresh application, and if that also were refused he would have a right of appeal.

Is it not strange that a person who passed all the necessary formalities and received permission to enter the United Kingdom, but had the misfortune to break his leg, should then, six months later, be refused permission to enter the United Kingdom?

I understand that that was not a material factor in the date of his application, and that he applied for the certificate some months after the withdrawal in January, 1969, of the special concession to Commonwealth husbands and fiancés. If Mr. Sandhu wished to make a fresh application, he would have a right of appeal under the new legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ban the sale of dogs, dead or alive, for the purposes of pelting.

No, Sir.

Is the hon. Member aware that since the first batch of dog skins was found in my constituency, it has become clear that this vile practice is both growing and profitable? Does he not appreciate that the pelting of dogs in whatever circumstances, whether bred for the purpose of sales off the streets or merely sold after they have been destroyed, causes dismay to the majority of people, and will he say what he intends to do about the situation?

I appreciate the strong feelings on this matter, but we have to strike a balance between sentiment and common sense. The important point is to make sure that any dogs which have to be put down are put down humanely. There are difficulties in the hon. Gentleman's suggestion, but if he has further evidence that the practice is growing unduly I hope that he will let me have that evidence.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the firm about which complaints have been made is situated in my constituency and has been doing a wonderful job of keeping people employed? Is this any different from other types of work of this nature, since probably every hon. Member in this House is wearing shoes which are made of leather?

I am not.

Provided that it is done properly and the animal is dead, what difference does it make? I speak as an animal lover, and I have my own dog. If the process is pursued as the firm in my constituency pursues it, in a proper manner and in conjunction with the various charitable organisations, surely there is no harm in it.

I am sure there is a lot in what the hon. Member says.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about his consideration of the activities of the Irish Republican Army in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of his consideration of ways of combating the activities of both wings of the Irish Republican Army within Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about the activities of the Irish Republican Army in Great Britain.

Appropriate steps will continue to be taken, but I have at present no proposals for legislation in this connection.

Now that we have direct rule over Northern Ireland, may we not find ourselves in more direct confrontation with the IRA in this island, and will my right hon. Friend assure me that, if more powers are required, he will come at once to this House and obtain them? Is he satisfied that the Public Order Act is being applied in full when persons appearing to be in IRA uniform have been marching in the streets of London?

If I thought that further powers were desirable I would come to the House and ask for them. The police are very efficient indeed and at the moment have all the powers they need. The enforcement of law is for chief officers of police, and if any hon. Member knows of a particular example which should be drawn to their attention, it should be sent to me and I will pass on the information.

Has my right hon. Friend any evidence that fund-raising activities on behalf of the IRA have ceased in this country? Is he aware that it will be difficult to control more effectively the activities of the IRA in Great Britain until there is some control over immigration into this country from the Republic of Ireland?

I have had no recent complaints about specific examples of fund collecting on behalf of the IRA. Interest in this House has been effective in bringing that to an end. The second point relates to a much wider question.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the enormous anger which is felt by those engaged in the security fight in Northern Ireland and by the people living there when they see Republican and IRA leaders parading around Britain? Will my right hon. Friend do everything possible in conjunction with the security authorities to deal effectively with both their financial and their propaganda efforts?

Certainly. But in so far as they are breaking the law, it must be for the police authorities to take action against them. I am sure that what has been said today will be noted by the police authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions are currently being held with the British Board of Film Censors.

I have had informal discussions of a general character with the President and Secretary of the Board.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the British Board of Film Censors no longer seems to enjoy the same confidence in its judgment among local authorities as once was the case? Does my right hon. Friend feel that some form of statutory code is required, or, if not that, can he initiate talks to bring local authorities, the film industry and the Board into harmony once more?

I held a meeting yesterday on the specific point with representatives of the AMC, the County Councils Association and the Greater London Council. They did not share my hon. Friend's view. They did not express any lack of confidence in the Board. There are ways in which co-operation can be improved and I shall pursue them. In general, they express satisfaction with the present system.

Will the right hon. Gentleman be a scrupulous guardian of the rights of free expression, except where obvious harm may result to the public by virtue of the wanton display of works of violence, and so forth?

I am a scrupulous guardian of the rights of free expression. I am also a guardian of society against violence. If there is evidence that any activity is contributing to the disturbing growth in the land of violence, it is my responsibility to do something about it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will circularise local fire chief officers to offer training in fire prevention in colleges of education or schools.

Fire authorities already seek opportunities to give such training. Guidance to assist them in this task has been prepared by the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council and will shortly be circulated.

Does not my hon. Friend agree that fires cause immense damage to property and loss of life and that the means of prevention are best inculcated in the young?

I agree, and I know my hon. Friend's interest in this problem. I take this opportunity to draw the attention of the House and of local authorities to a new guide to fire prevention publicity and a new booklet on teaching fire prevention in secondary schools which we are issuing shortly.

Does my hon. Friend appreciate that with the raising of the school leaving age this is a subject which might be taught in schools? Can my hon. Friend arrange for the necessary co-ordination between his Department and the Department of Education and Science so that courses may be held?

That is a helpful suggestion and I will draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science to it. If we can help in that, we will.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the law regulating the granting of bills of indictment to transfer criminal prosecutions from a lower court to a higher court.

The Government have no plans for legislation on this subject.

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware of the steadily accumulating evidence showing that this procedure is being used to thwart the wishes of defendants and even of courts where no practical difficulties exist to having cases conducted entirely in Welsh, and that an increased possibility of a miscarriage of justice and increased public disquiet inevitably follow? Will the hon. and learned Gentleman look at the affidavit produced in Carmarthen Crown Court last week in order to see the farcical and tragic situation that has been contrived?

I do not accept that the system is being ill used. The voluntary bill of indictment system is a procedure whereby the prosecution may apply to a high court judge for a voluntary bill as an alternative to ordinary committal proceedings. At the moment, we have no intention of altering that procedure.

On how many occasions has a magistrates' court adjourned a hearing for several weeks so that the police could find a Welsh-speaking solicitor, only to discover that over its head the case has been transferred to a Crown Court? Will the hon. and learned Gentleman assure the House that the spirit of the Welsh Language Act does not mean that cases in Wales are not to be heard in the Welsh language?

I cannot give a factual answer to the hon. Gentleman's first question. I will try to find the answer for him. As for his second question, the use of Welsh in the courts is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the progress of the prison building programme.

Good progress is being made. I will with permission circulate a detailed statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Can my right hon. Friend say something about the London prisons? Is not it both urgent and desirable to close down Pentonville and Brixton as soon as possible and to build a new London prison by the end of the 1970s?

The difficulty is that prison accommodation in this country is so heavily overcrowded that we must concentrate first on reducing the number of prisoners sharing cells. That will take a long time, despite the rapidly increased prison-building programme. Only then shall we be able to dispose of old-fashioned accommodation.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider taking steps to reduce the number of people on remand in custody? I know of one case where a

We have been considering this. I said something about bail hostels a little while ago, and there are provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill which will help in this direction.

We appreciate what the right hon. Gentleman has said about bail hostels. Will he consider the purchase of suitable buildings for this purpose to relieve overcrowding in our prisons? Has there been a review of the policy of sending prisoners to open prisons with a view to trying to fill them and relieve overcrowding, especially in local prisons and category C prisons?

The second possibility is in our minds, but it has considerable difficulties in practice. I shall be glad to consider the first point.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can now give a more precise date when he expects to receive the report of the Committee inquiring into the law on adoption.

I understand that the Committee still hopes to submit its report by the end of July.

Will my hon. and learned Friend ask the Committee not to let the time table slip? Is he aware that while it deliberates, avoidable cases of heartbreak crop up at regular intervals? Surely it is overwhelmingly demonstrated that there is a need to introduce the

I am sure that the Committee is aware of the importance of its work and the need to complete it as soon as possible. It produced a working paper in October, 1970. It has received evidence on the proposals set out in that paper. It is important that the Committee has the time that it feels necessary to produce well-considered recommendations on what is a very difficult subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of letters for March, 1972 which he has received from women who have not been given alimony awarded by court order.

Six, Sir.

Cannot another look be taken at the possible rôle of the Inland Revenue and the Department of Social Security? Members of all parties still get these heartbreak letters, despite the measures that the Government have taken.

I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman. Any matter with regard to the Treasury he must put down to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

With a negative income tax in the offing is not there a case for having discussions with the Treasury and the Department of Social Security to find a better way of ensuring that payments are made regularly and avoiding the waste of time and frustration of many wives entitled to receive maintenance who find that payments are irregular and that the method of collection from the court is very inconvenient?

I am aware of the concern which is expressed on both sides of the House about the distressing cases of women relying on maintenance orders which are not complied with by their husbands. We have arranged for payment by post to meet the hon. Gentleman's last point. The Attachment of Earnings Act, 1971, strengthened the procedure for the use of the attachment of earnings. But the whole matter is being looked at by the committee under Maurice Finer set up by the previous Government.

When will it report?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the sale of State Management District public houses and hotels.

I have nothing at present to add to the reply which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Ron Lewis) on 17th April. —[Vol. 835, c. 29-30.]

Will the Minister consider publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT the prices the Government are getting for this public property? Is he satisfied with the rate at which he is flogging off these highly profitable public assets to the Tory Party's political friends?

That is about as abject nonsense as the hon. Gentleman spoke during a good deal of the Committee stage of the Bill. So far 34 sales have been made of the smaller public houses, and they have been accepted by the tenants or managers. If that is the type of sale by the Government to which the hon. Gentleman objects, I would reply that I am glad that we are providing opportunities for those tenants and managers to buy their own premises.

Does my hon. and learned Friend accept that many hon. Members on this side of the House would like to see a considerable speeding up in the process not merely of these sales but of bodies such as Thomas Cook?

Concerning these sales, as well as the smaller ones which have been made to individual tenants and managers, I am hoping that an announcement will soon be made regarding the sale of the remaining assets, which is to be done by public tender on the advice of the agents we appointed.

Why should the State sell the pubs but save the Tote?

The hon. Gentleman is asking two entirely different questions. The decision to sell off the public houses was made because the Government felt that they had and should have no part in the sale of liquor in a particular part of the country. The reason for endeavouring to make the Tote viable is that the Government believe that there are social reasons for continuing to provide an alternative method of betting for the punter than its being entirely in the hands of the individual bookmaker.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coloured police officers are serving with the Metropolitan Police at present; and how many were serving in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Twelve The numbers serving on 31st December in each year were: 1968, 3; 1969, 4; 1970, 7; and 1971, 11.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the rate of recruitment is quite appalling and that urgent research ought to be undertaken into why the figures are so disappointing? Does he recognise that recruitment of coloured people into the police might be one of the best ways of eliminating so much of the mutual suspicion which now exists between the police and the immigrant community?

I agree that the figures are disappointing. They have been at this kind of level for many years now. Research into the reasons for this would be a complex operation. I am satisfied that chief officers of police generally, including the Metropolitan Police, are anxious to do all that they can to recruit more coloured people into the police forces.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that, although this is undoubtedly a difficult problem, the number of police recruited reflects the number of applicants and the number of applications which are made? Does he further agree that the Metropolitan Police are anxious to recruit more coloured policemen into the service and that, therefore, any suggestion that this shows that there is some bias in recruitment policy is entirely wrong?

Yes. I think that that is absolutely right.

As the figures are so low and as it is so important to have good relations between the police and the immigrant community, should not special efforts be made to recruit from schools which have a high proportion of immigrant children? May I also suggest the possibility of considering whether an immigrant should be attached on a civilian basis to those forces which have to deal with many immigrant cases?

Special efforts are being and have been made for some time in areas where there is a substantial immigrant population. I shall gladly examine the hon. Lady's suggestions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the origin of the heroin at present obtainable on the black market in England and Wales.

According to reports made to my right hon. Friend, most of the illicit heroin recently detected in the United Kingdom comes from Hong Kong.

Does my hon. Friend agree that there would be a danger to the community at large if a small, closely knit group of expatriates controlled this wholesale market? Does he further agree that recently the police have done extremely well in curtailing this trade, whatever the national origins of the people engaging in it?

Yes, I agree. So far this year 34 arrests for unlawful possession of Chinese heroin have been made by the Metropolitan Police. At the same time, we are looking at new ways of cooperating with the Hong Kong authorities at the other end.

Will the hon. Gentleman tell the House the original source from which the heroin comes?

The original source is the opium poppy, but there are different ways in which heroin reaches the user.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in his examination of the problem of shoplifting from supermarkets.

I am not in a position to add to what was said in reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 27th January.—[Vol. 829, c 1604-5.]

I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for that answer, but I hope that he will not mind my continuing to press the point. How soon does he expect his report to be ready. Is he aware that many hon. Members on both sides of the House are concerned about the increase in shoplifting due to the methods of trading of supermarkets and the many social problems resulting there from?

I appreciate my hon. Friend's concern. I am afraid that I am not yet in a position to say when the working party will report. Of course, its report will be made to the Home Office Standing Committee on Crime Prevention.

Will my hon. and learned Friend remember that phrase in the Lord's Prayer,

"And lead us not into temptation",

I remember that sentence all the time.

Will the Minister assure us that when discussing this pernicious problem he will take into consideration the many innocent people who have been wrongly apprehended? Will he also consider that such people should have some means of obtaining restitution for being falsely accused of something which they have not done?

Prosecutions are not matters for my right hon. Friend; they are either for the police authority which brings the prosecution or, indeed, for the store which chooses to bring a private prosecution. There are great safeguards for the individual if he believes that he has been either falsely imprisoned or wrongly prosecuted as a result of proceedings which are brought.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for the next electoral registers to be published as early as possible before 15th February, 1973.

Since elections to the new county councils are to take place in March, electoral registration officers can be counted on to make special efforts to publish early next year.

I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for that reply. As these elections are held 28 days after publication of the electoral registers, and as the electoral registers invariably do not come out before 15th February, will he give an undertaking that they come out and are published at least on 1st February?

The 15th February is the latest date for publication of electoral registers. They can, of course, be published earlier. I am glad to tell my hon. Friend that, as a result of representations which have been made, the Government have decided that the proposed date of 15th March for the elections should be postponed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet completed his consideration of the possibility of paying the same London weighting allowance to probation officers working in all 12 of the Inner London Boroughs.

Not yet, Sir. I recently put an alternative proposal to the Joint Negotiating Committee for the Probation Service, but they found it unacceptable.

Will my right hon. Friend tell us what possible justification there can be for excluding probation officers working in four boroughs—Hammersmith. Wandsworth, Lewisham and Greenwich—from the London weighting allowance? Is it not bound to have an adverse effect on both morale and recruitment? Will he remedy this absurd anomaly?

The justification for the Government's offer is that it is precisely in line with the London weighting allowance currently being paid to administrative, professional and clerical staffs of London borough councils, including social workers. I should add that this matter has not been resolved. I have only just received the rejection of our alternative proposal, and I am considering it.

Now that the right hon. Gentleman has been relieved of the burden of Northern Ireland, may I ask him to speed up consideration of a matter which is causing great anxiety in the probation service and is regarded by it as an acute injustice? May I suggest that, unless he acts quickly, there will be a loss of further experienced officers to some of the London boroughs?

The Government's offer is based on the existing practice for the London addition to the salary of probation officers to be based on the weighting allowance in the London boroughs. At the same time, I shall be happy to get the matter out of the way. It is a source of irritation to many people and should be dealt with.

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that to use the fact that some people are unjustly treated as a reason for treating unjustly probation officers in the borough of which I represent part is not very helpful when the borough is short of probation officers and needs them urgently?

I do not think that it is any business of mine that other people regard it as unjust.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to prohibit the doorstep sales of mini fire extinguishers.

No, Sir.

Does not the hon. Gentleman regard it as scandalous that thousands of people are kidding themselves that their cars, caravans, boats and even houses are protected, when most of these things would not even put out a lighted match? Will the hon. Gentleman now accept the representations that have been made to him by countless fire officers and the British Safety Council and ban these things immediately, and in particular prohibit their doorstep sale?

No, Sir. I know of the the considerations which have been mentioned by the hon. Gentleman, but I do not think that at present we should be justified in imposing a ban such as he suggests. Most of the public have the common sense to realise that these things have only limited use. What we are trying to do is to devise a simple voluntary labeling scheme, which will help.

Will my hon. Friend accept that that answer is not satisfactory? Will he take some steps to see that home safety committees of local authorities are aware of this danger and that proper publicity is given to it?

I shall consider the matter further. All I am saying is that I am not prepared, on what I see now, to suggest legislation to prohibit their sale.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the grossly unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will delay the proposed deportation of Clifford and Errole Jordan pending further examination of their request for temporary stay permits.

I have written to my hon. Friend. Having reviewed the whole case, I can find no grounds for advising my right hon. Friend to allow these two young men to remain here any longer.

I appreciate my hon. Friend's difficulties in the necessity of implementing the rules and law governing immigration, but would not it be possible for him to look at these cases again, even at this late hour? Is he aware that these two constituents of mine are the subject of earnest and sincere requests by their respective employers that they should be allowed a further extension of their stay? I hope that my hon. Friend will look at this again.

I am aware of these considerations. I have looked right back through the history of this case, which my hon. Friend knows better than I do. In view of all the past history, and the fact that they have undoubtedly tried to flout the immigration rules, I am afraid that I cannot suggest that the decision should be altered. I remind my hon. Friend that these cases have been to appeal and that both the adjudicator and the tribunal upheld our decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of convictions for illegal street gambling in the Metropolitan Police area during the last 12 months.

The statistics are not yet available, I am obtaining them and shall write to the hon. Member.

I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for that reply. Is he not aware of the vast amount of illegal card playing which is taking place in many parts of London, and at which many people, especially overseas visitors, are being fleeced of their money? As the individuals who run these games readily resort to both abuse and violence, is it not time that the Minister asked the Metropolitan Police to take sterner action against these individuals?

I am aware of the hon. Gentleman's concern in this matter. Gaming in the street is prohibited by Section 5 of the Gaming Act, 1968, and the police may proceed under various other provisions. I understand that they do so with regard to getting the individual bound over and applying for his recognisance to be estreated in respect of a subsequent offence. When the figures are available I shall look at them and at what the hon. Gentleman said.

Can the hon. and learned Gentleman say why the Metropolitan Police can, and do, immediately take action if demonstrators cause an obstruction? Action is taken immediately, and the demonstrators are heavily fined. But the people referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Wandsworth, Central (Mr. Thomas Cox) take their little boxes and set themselves up for business at street corners every day of the week and nothing seems to be done about that. Perhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman would suggest to the police that they should treat these people in the same way as they do working-class demonstrators.

I repudiate, as I am sure would the House, the hon. Gentleman's final comment, which implies bias by the police. Under the Gaming Act, the maximum penalty for this offence is £50. There is power to take proceedings for obstruction under the Police Acts and I gather that the Metropolitan Police do that from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the organisations in Great Britain which are illegal under the provisions of a statute.

I am not aware of any.

Has there ever been any?

Not so far as we have been able to trace from our study of the Statutes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Service voters have been recorded in the Registers of Electors for each of the past five years.

The figures are, 225,278 in 1968; 210,866 in 1969; 142,189 in 1970; 92,156 in 1971; and 105,426 in 1972.

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that those national figures reflect what I find in my constituency, namely, that the number of Service voters is only 40 per cent. of what it was in 1969, despite the lowering of the voting age to 18, and the additional qualification of British Council personnel? Will the hon. and learned Gentleman look into why this has happened, and why so many Service men appear to be losing the right to vote?

The hon. Gentleman is right on the facts, but the figures are not entirely comparable, because previously there may have been on the register people who had left the Service, but who were registered as Service voters. Nevertheless, the Government are concerned about the rate of registration of individual Service voters, and this matter is being referred to Mr. Speaker's Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the latest report of the Criminal Law Revision Committee.

On the assumption that the hon. Member has in mind the Committee's forthcoming report on evidence, I would refer him to the replies given on 18th and 20th April to Questions by the hon. and learned members for Southport (Mr. Percival) and Dulwich (Mr. S. C. Silkin).—[Vol. 835, c. 82-130.]

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is widespread public disquiet about proposals to abolish the police caution and to require the accused to enter the witness box? Would he not agree that the withdrawal of the police caution at the moment when the investigation is least public would be a dangerous and retrograde step which would undermine the rights and liberties of the individual?

I do not see why there should be widespread public concern about a report which has not yet been made.

But the right hon. Gentleman is not as naive as that. There have been a number of Press leaks about what this report is said to contain, and one of them is that there should be an extension of the right to put in the previous convictions of an accused person. Would the right hon. Gentleman please note that that would be bitterly contested from this side of the House, as a grave abuse of the rights of the accused?

I have already pointed out that some reports about likely recommendations of the committee are inaccurate. I suggest that we wait to see what the report does recommend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made against the police in forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police, in each of the last three years; and what proportion of these complaints were substantiated.

There were 11,814 in 1969; 12,044 in 1970; and 12,271 in 1971. The proportions were 102 per cent., 8·9 per cent. and 8·7 per cent.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. In view of the current criticism of the police, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he agrees that the figures show that, generally, the standards of the police are exceptionally high in this matter? Would he not also agree that the figures indicate that many of the complaints are made either irresponsibly or with malice?

I think that is true. It is essential that all complaints should be investigated, and they are, but it is all too easy to make complaints. It is a one-way option. If someone is in trouble with the police, he makes a complaint. If he succeeds he wins. If he does not succeed, he does not lose.

I accept that the police are often wrongly accused by those who make charges against them, but I am sure that the Home Secretary appreciates the necessity of retaining public confidence in police practice. In view of that, may I ask whether he has given any consideration to the possibility of some independent element in police inquiries, or some form of appeal to an independent ombudsman?

I dealt with this whole question when I made a statement in the House not long ago. If it is a serious offence, and the complaint involves possible criminal proceedings, the independent Director of Public Prosecutions is responsible for investigating it.

Can my right hon. Friend say how many commendations and how many letters of appreciation have been received over a similar period? There are large numbers of them, and they often far outstrip the number of complaints, certainly in my county.

I shall be happy to give those figures if my hon. Friend puts down a Question.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how many complaints he has received from the Police Federation and organisations representing the police forces in this country about the notorious circular published by the Home Office some years ago entitled "How to make a complaint against the police"? Has the circular been amended? Will the right hon. Gentleman take it from me and from others who have taken an interest in this matter that there is deep resentment about the terms in which the circular was drafted, and that it has come into the possession of many of the criminal classes who have grossly abused its terms?

I would require notice of that question because I believe that the circular in question was issued by the previous Administration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange a religious service in the Welsh language every Sunday for Welsh speaking prisoners at Walton Gaol.

Arrangements have been made for a Welsh-speaking minister of religion to conduct a service in Welsh once a fortnight when there are prisoners who wish to attend.

I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for that information. As biblical quotations are the order of the day, may I ask him to bear in mind the verse that where two or three are gathered together, it might help towards their reform?

In this prison there are at the moment 19 gathered together.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further progress has been made towards finding a site in Birmingham for a remand home for women.

Birmingham Corporation has suggested that a site near Winson Green prison might be suitable for a women's remand centre. A feasibility study will now be carried out.

While thanking the hon. and learned Gentleman for that answer, may I ask him to remember that this is a redevelopment area and that a site is not yet available on which to build? Is he aware that this will result in a further lengthy period of delay before this urgently required remand home in the city is established?

I am aware of that. This site, regrettably, is not likely to be available until 1975. It is for that reason that we have taken certain interim steps in regard to overnight accommodation at Birmingham Prison. However, we believe that the long-term solution must be a purpose-built remand centre and we are looking at a site which has been suggested to us by Birmingham Corporation.

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that his answer is not good enough? Far more urgent steps must be taken to find remand accommodation in Birmingham and so save the present inconvenience to the service and prisoners, many of whom have to be remanded in Holloway. Will he take another look at this matter and treat it with the utmost urgency?

Although the hon. Gentleman says that my answer is not good enough, I understand that the whole cause of this problem arose during the period of the Labour Government, when a decision was taken to withdraw the existing remand home in Birmingham. We are trying to find a replacement site, but one is not easy to acquire. I am looking into the matter and I assure the House that I am aware of the problem.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Deparament what sums were recovered under the contribution orders made in 1970 and included in Table XVII (b) of the Criminal Statistics in England and Wales for 1970, in respect of each of the categories of courts listed in that Table.

The information is not available in the form requested. In 1970 the total amount recovered was £149,630.

Does the hon. and learned Gentleman agree that that is still a modest proportion of the total of £218,000 ordered to be recovered? Are these order worth the cost of collection, or might not everyone's interest be better served if, where a person of modest means requires assistance in a legal case, it is made available unconditionally?

The hon. and learned Gentleman is not comparing like with like. My answer related to the amount recovered during 1970. His figure of £218,000 relates to the amount ordered to be paid; and as most of it is paid on an instalment basis, a great deal of it may not yet have been recovered.

In view of the considerable number of contribution orders made by the courts, may I ask the hon. and learned Gentleman to say why the courts still insist on refusing legal aid, particularly the magistrates' courts? Will he please look into this matter?

The take-up of legal aid in the magistrates' courts alone doubled between 1967 and 1970. The cost of legal aid in the magistrates' courts from 1965 to 1970 increased more than tenfold.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total establishment of the Metropolitan Police; and what was their total strength in June, 1970 and at the latest convenient date.

The authorised establishment is 26,055. The strength was 20,872 on 30th June, 1970, and 21,431 on 26th March, 1972.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the increase which those figures show. Can he hold out any hope of still further increases?

The increases are welcome, but I would certainly like to see a much more substantial increase, particularly in the Metropolitan area, and all possible steps are being taken to this end.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Asians holding United Kingdom passports have been admitted to the United Kingdom during the months of January, February and March, 1972, respectively; and what recent instructions have been issued to immigration officers about this category of immigrant.

In January, 1,667 and in February, 1,434 United Kingdom passport holders were admitted from East Africa for all purposes. Figures for March are not yet available. In addition, 36 arrived in January from India without entry documents, 15 in February and 25 in March. No recent instructions have been issued to immigration officers about United Kingdom passport holders.

Does that reply mean that my right hon. Friend can refute the Press reports that instructions were issued that unauthorised immigrants should be admitted, rather than go to the expense and troble of repatriation?

Certainly. No recent instructions have been issued in this matter. We have been following previous custom.

To what extent will these passport holders get employment in this country and how many dependants will they be bringing?

If they are allowed to remain here permanently, it will, of course, be desirable that they should take up employment and, in accordance with our policy generally in regard to Commonwealth immigrants, be allowed to bring their families.

Will the Home Secretary please accept the thanks of hon. Members on this side of the House for the compassion he has shown in dealing with this difficult problem, which eluded the last Administration but in respect of which we hope there will be success, even under this one?

I am grateful for any comment of that kind. We have made some progress, but it would be dishonest of me to suggest that we have solved the problem finally. A number of matters remain to be sorted out.