BRITISH DEFENCE REGULATIONS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24567, 16 May 1945, Page 7

BRITISH DEFENCE REGULATIONS

MANY NOW REVOKED LIBERTIES RESTORED BY GOVERNMENT' LONDON. Hay ft> Revocation of many defence regulations was announced in the House of Commons by the Minister of Home Sc-v curity (Mr Herbert Morrison). They - include Regulation 188, under which Mosley and many others suspected ol Fascist sympathies were imprisoned, “Bv Order-ln-CounciL five special codes of regulations, including the fire guard regulations, are revoked entire* ly," said Mr Morrison. “Eighty-four general defence regulation* are revoked entirely, and 25 are partly revoked. “The regulations revoked include those to which Parliament baa rightly given vigilant attention bceauae of the effect on civil liberties—namely:--“Regulation IAA, which contained exceptional provisions relating to trade disputes; ‘tC and 2D. which related to the systematic publication s! matter cal* (mated to foment opposition to the wag effort; “18A, which empowered the Horn* Secretary to restrict the movements and activities of suspected persona; “188, which is perhaps sufficiently well known! to need no description.’* (Loud laughter.) “The release of all persons detained under these regulations is authorised, beginning this week, except, for one alien who is being temporarily detained under a deportation order. “There also baa been revoked regulation 18D, authorising the temporary detention of suspected persons pending inquiries, together with the corresponding part of 88A, and alpo 398, which dealt with the publication of reports likely to cause alarm and despondency.’’ (Cheers and laughter.) “Regulation 39E, which specially empowered the rqjjibition of processions and meetings to end the war, and a number of* regulations imposed for security or other reasons, must be re* talnw until the war against Japan ia successfully concluded. “Them also remains for consideration the question ei such controls as may be required' during the transitional periodic ensure the best use of available supplies and nrvker'in the national interest “A bill about to be introduced will give the House oooortunity for full consideration of this question. The lengthy schedule of revocations 'which will be laid before Parliament will show that every effort is being made to dispense without dolay with those regu’at'ons which have ceased to be now the European war has 1 ended.”