TAPPING OF PHONES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29070, 5 December 1959, Page 7

TAPPING OF PHONES

“No Guarantee Against It”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 3. The temperature of the House of Commons rose sharply today when the Home Secretary (Mr R. A. Butler) said he could not guarantee that the police would not tap private telephone conversations in certain cases. Labour members, and some Conservatives, were provoked by a recent disclosure that police handed over evidence, obtained by telephone tapping, to the General Medical Council for use in disciplinary proceedings against a doctor. The man, Dr. Kenneth Fox, was ordered to be struck off the medical register because of an improper association with a married woman patient (who later committed suicide).

There were cries of surprise today when Mr Butler, under questioning, disclosed that the police instigated the interception and the woman agreed. Mr Butler said the police were listening in the course of criminal investigations made at the request of a coroner. The Medical Council had learned of a record of the conversation and subpoenaed the police td produce it.

Mr Butler added: “Secret interception of a call on the public telephone system is practised only on public grounds on the personal authority of the Secretary of State (the Home Secretary).

“On this occasion the police listened in only with the consent of the party concerned. 1 understand that this procedure is, as it should be, quite exceptional.’’ Mr Patrick Gordon Walker. Labour’s home affairs spokesman, said the powers were “odious” and should be restricted as much as possible. Mr Butler said such cases were rare. He did not think it was something which should be generally done, but he could not guarantee it would not happen in certain cases. When private permission was given it was not easy for a Minister to intervene.