§ 33. Mr. GEOFFREY PETOasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total number of casualties to the police and to the unemployed, and the estimated cost to the police funds, in the recent march of unemployed to London?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Gilmour)The number of casualties to Metropolitan Police in connection with the demonstrations on 27th and 30th October and 1st November was 32; 93 members of the public were injured but it is not posible to say how many of them were unemployed. I cannot at present state the cost to the Metropolitan Police Fund. There will be some additional charges for travelling and refreshment allowances of the police and some few claims have been, and others may be, made under the Riot (Damages) Act, but in neither case is the amount expected to be large.
§ Mr. PETOCan my right hon. Friend tell me whether he has taken any steps to prevent a repetition of this unscrupulous exploiting of the unemployed under the orders of Moscow?
§ Mr. McGOVERNWill the Home Secretary keep in view the fact that these demonstrations, with their enormous cost, could be avoided by abolishing the means test and restoring the cuts in unemployment benefit?