Police Called To Control Children In Commons

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31322, 18 March 1967, Page 13

Police Called To Control Children In Commons

(N.Z.PA.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, Mar. 17. A protest by angry London housewives in the Houses of Parliament today led to a call for police reinforcements—to control dozens of noisy inquisitive children who accompanied their mothers. The normally austere cen-

tral lobby of the House of Commons echoed with the deafening noise of children playing games and jumping on padded seats. Their greatest fun was trying to sneak past police into the hallowed precincts of the members’ lobby, immediately outside the Common’s chamber. Police reinforcements arrived, but the hefty, slightlyembarrassed constables had their work cut out. They had to tread gingerly to avoid stepping on infant lobbyists

crawling around the floor. The mothers—about 200 of them with their children met to protest against the withdrawal of Government subsidies for the maternity wing of St. Teresa’s hospital, at Wimbledon, a London suburb. Dozens of prams and pushchairs, some containing sleeping babies, were parked outside the Houses of Parliament when the “invasion” began. Feed Time The children inside ranged from toddlers to more vocal and less manageable two and three-year-olds. The invasion ended after an hour, when the mothers abandoned attempts to protest to the Minister for Health, Mr Kenneth Robinson, and left to feed their babies.

They did manage to see some back-benchers first. Then cleaners were called in to sweep up the toffee papers and other debris left by the children.