§ 27. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of assault on, and robbing of, schoolchildren between home and school have occurred in the last 12 months in the Metropolitan Police area.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Mark Carlisle)I am arranging for the available information to be collated and shall write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonIf I send my hon. and learned Friend particulars of children from my constituency who have been violently assaulted and terrorised on their way home from school, will he consider those particulars and also consider consultations between the Metropolitan Police and the school authorities?
§ Mr. CarlisleI shall certainly call for a report from the Commissioner of Police on any case my hon Friend wishes to put to me.
§ Mr. John FraserAs it is important that the children should be able to turn to the police as friends, will the Minister reconsider the decision of the Metropolitan Police to discontinue police visits to schools, which were in connection with accident prevention but which brought about an accord between children and the police force and led to the children's approaching the police about their problems? There is now an estrangement, because the police do not go to the schools quite so often.
§ Mr. CarlisleThat is an entirely different question, but I shall consider what the hon. Gentleman says.
§ Mr. WintertonHow seriously would my hon. and learned Friend consider the fact that a patient who has served a term 1570 in Rampton special hospital is living near a school and has already threatened a child on the way to that school?
§ Mr. CarlisleNo one is released from a special hospital if he is there by court order with a restriction order, unless the Home Secretary is satisfied that it is safe to do so. If my hon. Friend has any particular case of concern to draw to my attention, I shall look at it.