PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC SECURITY ORDINANCE (Number of persons detained)

Mr D. S. Marshall asked the Chief Secretary to give the number of persons arrested under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance within the aforementioned period who were detained -

(a) for 24 hours or less;

(b) for 48 hours or less;

(c) for less than 16 days;

and the number of persons against whom Detention Orders have been made by the Governor in Council between 1st October and 18th November, 1956.

Mr W. A. C. Goode: Of the persons arrested under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance -

(a) 320 were detained for 24 hours or less;

(b) 2 were detained for more than 24 hours but not more than 48;

(c) 184 were detained for more than 48 hours but less than 16 days.

Between 1st October and 18th November, Detention Orders have been made in respect of 216 persons.

Mr Marshall: Do I understand, Sir, that in the circumstances there are 194 still under detention whose cases are being considered?

Mr Goode: No, Sir. The procedure under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance is that unless a Detention Order is made before the expiry of the time during which the police may detain a person, he must be released.

Mr Marshall: Sir, but I understand that 912 were arrested under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance. Of these, 502 have been released. That leaves us 410 not released. Of these, Detention Orders have been made against 216. That leaves us 194 unaccounted for.

Mr Goode: The question, I take it, Sir, is: Will I please account for them? I will try and do that, Sir. It is quite true that there are a number who are not covered by the answers I gave to the question originally put to me. The explanation of that is this, Sir, that a number of persons who were originally arrested by the police under their powers conferred by section 17 (b) of the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance were later found to have been concerned with incidents such as curfew breaking and rioting and even arson, and they have therefore been charged under the ordinary laws of the colony. The explanation is that a number of persons who were held originally under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance are now being charged in the ordinary way for criminal offences.

Mr Marshall: One more question, Sir. Of these 194, how many are, in fact, now detained under the Banishment Ordinance?

Mr Goode: The hon. Member is quite right, Sir. I did omit to say that there are a comparatively few who are now held under banishment procedure. I have not the figures available, but I think it is about 30.

Mr Marshall: Thank you.