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i CHAPTER VI 26 0 920 +1 3thein . | THE POLICE ARE TOLD ee a oe aa @ Tae Ordinary Police Fore "5. No one can “understand the actions of the police in | the. Profuma affair unless it is realised that their primary task is to maintain law and order: in particular it is their duty to enforce the criminal law, and in this respect they are completely independent of the Home Office. It is no part of their duty to pry into the private lives of anyone, be it a Minister of the Crown or the humblest citizen. And if, in the course of their inquiries, they come across discreditable incidents in private lives (not amounting to a criminal offence) it is no part of their duty to report it to anyone. We are not yet a “ police state ”. Even if they come across discreditable incidents in the life of a Minister, they are not to report it-~-save only if it appears that the security of the country may be endangered, when n they should Teport it to the Seourity | Service. Gi) Special Branch ” 76. So much for what I may call the ordinary police force. There is also the ‘Special Branch’ of the Metropolitan Police. This was formed in 1886 to deal with Irish Republican activity. From that time it has developed so that its main activities are as follows: — (i) It is concerned with subversive or terrorist organisations. So one of its duties is to obtain information regarding them and pass it to the Security Service. ® It is also concerned with offences against the security of the State, such as treason, espionage, offences against the Official Secrets Act ‘and the Public Order Act. If the Security Service, for instance, detect a spy, they collect the information and material about the case and then pass it to Special Branch. The Special Branch make any necessary searches or arrests, and prepare the case for trial. Conversely, if Special Branch comes across material which points to a risk to national security, they pass it to the Security Service for their information. (3) It keeps watch on seaports and airports for criminals and other dangerous persons: makes inquiries into aliens: and so forth. “ 71. Theré is very close co-operation between the Special Branch and the Security Service. They work together in harmony and each has the fullest confidence in the other. (iii) The Working of the Ordinary Police Leng 78. ‘The various cases that figure in the Profumo affair wary clearly the working of ‘the ordinary police. In the Edgecombe’ camp tie ordinary police force handled it in the accustomed manner. On being informed of the shooting, they went at once to the scene, made investigations, then an afrest, afterwards took statements, and conducted the case right 25 | A Re Ss ck ye ~