asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will carry out an inquiry into the employment of men with criminal records as private detectives and in the private security industry ; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend does not believe an inquiry is justified. He is actively considering a scheme for disqualifying people with criminal records from employment as private detectives, but he does not think that this method of control would be appropriate with respect to the private security industry.

I thank my hon. and learned Friend for that reply. Is he aware of the growing evidence that many men in the private security industry, including some private detectives, have previous criminal records? Is he also aware that it is an unsatisfactory situation that a person who has been convicted of an offence within his own occupation is able to return to that occupation immediately afterwards?

We have no evidence of such a degree of abuse as would justify an inquiry. Clearly, the points made by my hon. Friend are important.