§ 17. Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many assaults on police officers on duty took place in 1969.
§ Mr. BuchanI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the Answer given on 4th March to a similar Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Hugh D. Brown.)—[Vol. 797, c. 117–8.]
§ Mr. MacArthurIs the hon. Member aware that there were 357 assaults on police officers in the last three years, that the rate of assault doubled over the last six years, and that there is a wide and growing public concern about the safety of individual police officers on duty?
§ Mr. BuchanYes, I am aware of all those things. I am sure that the hon. Member will take a certain satisfaction, as I have, from the fact that last year there was a decrease in assaults on the police and in crimes of violence generally in Scotland.
§ Mr. William HamiltonCan my hon. Friend give a breakdown of the figure to show how many of the assaults were by drunken assailants?
§ Mr. BuchanIt would be difficult to give a statistical breakdown of that kind. One hopes that the research in which we are taking part will assist in that direction. The two are connected and in general terms a number of assaults can be associated with alcohol.