Monday Volume 492 18 May 2009 No. 78 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 18 May 2009 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2009 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; Tel: 0044 (0) 208876344; e-mail: [email protected] 1187 18 MAY 2009 1188 Mr. Prentice: The police have been severely criticised House of Commons for their kettling technique, which they used in the G20 demonstrations a few weeks ago. Will my friend assure Monday 18 May 2009 me that there is no question whatever of the police using Tasers for crowd control? The House met at half-past Two o’clock Mr. Coaker: To reassure my hon. Friend, I have said to the Joint Committee on Human Rights that Tasers PRAYERS should not be used in public order control situations, and Tasers were not used during the G20 demonstrations. Officers equipped with Tasers raided a residence in an [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] operation to arrest individuals suspected of criminal damage at the G20 protest. My hon. Friend makes an important point, however: there is a right to protest in this country, and Tasers are not appropriate for use in Oral Answers to Questions controlling such demonstrations. Chris Huhne (Eastleigh) (LD): Three weeks ago, four HOME DEPARTMENT environmental protesters dressed as suffragettes superglued themselves to a statue of Viscount Falkland in Parliament. They were arrested for demonstrating unlawfully, held The Secretary of State was asked— in detention for a total of 18 hours and given hugely restrictive police bail conditions, such as not being Sexual Assault Referral Centres allowed even any contact with each other, although they were friends. Does the Minister accept that there is 1. Lynda Waltho (Stourbridge) (Lab): What funding widespread controversy about the way in which lawful her Department has allocated to sexual assault referral and peaceful protests are policed—as evidenced by the centres for 2009-10. [275709] solicitors of the climate camp protestors today echoing our call for a full judicial inquiry? Does he agree that an The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the inquiry would provide useful public guidance to the Home Department (Mr. Alan Campbell): In 2009-10, police on policing lawful and peaceful protest? £1.6 million has been allocated for sexual assault referral centres—SARCs. As part of the 2008 funding round, Mr. Coaker: The hon. Gentleman will know that £659,000 was allocated, and a further £941,000 was there is always a balance to be struck between protest announced on 15 April this year. and the rights of law-abiding citizens to go about their business and the protection of property. That balance is Lynda Waltho: I welcome that fantastic news about difficult for the police sometimes to maintain, but funding, but when I met women from Women’s Aid a notwithstanding the case to which the hon. Gentleman few weeks ago they were concerned that funding, although has referred, we have an excellent example outside welcome, may be diverted from rape crisis centres and Parliament currently of the police dealing with quite a that they will continually have to reapply for funding difficult situation—controlling the Tamil demonstration from different pots of money. Will my hon. Friend but at the same time trying as far as they can to allow reassure me that that will not happen? After all, rape access to Parliament. The hon. Gentleman makes an crisis centres were set up for women, by women, for a important point, however, and he will know that Denis specific function that is slightly different from that of O’Connor, the chief of Her Majesty’s inspectorate of sexual assault referral centres. constabulary, having been asked by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, will consider the whole issue of Mr. Campbell: I am happy to give my hon. Friend public order and tactics. We await that review with that reassurance. We value the work of rape crisis interest. centres and SARCs, and that is why we continue to invest in both of them. However, it is right that we look John Bercow (Buckingham) (Con): The Minister of at co-ordinating provision where possible to ensure that State’s reply to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris we make the best use of funding. Huhne) is both measured and reassuring. Can I invite the Minister of State to confer with his right hon. and Water Cannon hon. Friends in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in order that those Ministers can explain once and for 3. Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle) (Lab): What all to the Government of Sri Lanka, a country that I discussions she has had with police forces on the use of recently visited, that the British police are not in the water cannon by police forces in policing business of seeking to restrain or disperse protestors by demonstrations. [275712] the use of water cannon simply because they are holding placards or waving banners of which that Government The Minister for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime happen to disapprove? It is not the British way. and Policing (Mr. Vernon Coaker): The Home Office, working with the police, keeps all less lethal technologies, Mr. Coaker: The hon. Gentleman makes an important including water cannon, under constant review. There point. The Foreign Office and Foreign Office Ministers are no plans to introduce water cannon at the present are engaged in discussions with the demonstrators outside time. Parliament and, indeed, with the Sri Lankan Government 1189 Oral Answers18 MAY 2009 Oral Answers 1190 about the whole issue of protest. In this country, people point that I was making was that the police are doing a have a right to protest. That is what is going on outside, very good job with what is happening in Parliament and in my view and that of many people, the policing of square at present. To go back to the original question that demonstration, by facilitating protest but as far as about the use of water cannon and other such equipment, possible allowing the public and Parliament to go about it is encouraging to see our police policing such a their business, is a testament to the police. It is sometimes demonstration in normal uniform, by and large. difficult for the police, because people may say that something ought to be done about Tamils who are Michael Savage sitting in the road, for example, but the only way to move them, if they will not move, is by force. The way in which the police have tried to persuade people to conform 4. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): For what is the right way forward. reasons she decided to prevent Michael Savage from entering the UK; and if she will make a statement. Mr. Gerald Howarth (Aldershot) (Con): Does the [275713] Minister not accept that what is going on in Parliament square is an absolute disgrace? It is an abuse of the right The Secretary of State for the Home Department to protest. For seven weeks, the square has effectively (Jacqui Smith): Michael Savage was excluded for engaging been under semi-permanent occupation by the Tamils, in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others and people going about their business in London have to serious criminal acts and by fostering hatred that been disrupted. Why will the Minister not answer me might lead to inter-community violence. The exclusion when I ask how many police days have been devoted to is in line with the strengthened policy on exclusions that the demonstration and how much it has cost? The I announced to the House on 28 October last year. In Minister has told me that the Home Office does not his radio broadcasts, Mr. Savage has spoken about keep those figures and that they are a matter for the killing 100 million Muslims, and he has spoken in Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Who is in charge of violent terms about homosexuals. Coming to the UK is the Metropolitan Police Commissioner? The people of a privilege. I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals London should be told how much the demonstration is who abuse our standards and values to undermine our costing. way of life. Mr. Coaker: The fact is that the number of officers Michael Fabricant: Notwithstanding the Home and the amount of resources deployed are an operational Secretary’s answer, she will be aware that the things of matter for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. The which she accuses Mike Savage are also illegal in the only point that I make to the hon. Gentleman is that, United States of America, and he has not faced prosecution far from being an affront to democracy, what is going there. Does she realise how ludicrous her ban is and the on out there is a victory for democracy. disrepute into which she has put this country in the eyes of many right-seeing—and, indeed, left-seeing—people Having said that, I should also say that of course in the United States? Does she also plan to ban Howard there are issues about how any demonstration is policed. Stern, Rush Limbaugh and other middle-aged, white, However, I pose this question to the hon. Gentleman: ordinary, American radio presenters? what would be the effect were the police to conduct a clearance operation, bring the tents down and forcibly Jacqui Smith: I subscribe to the view, as expressed by remove people, including women and children? Then we another Member of this House, that would see a protest from the other side of the argument.