HC Deb 17 May 1984 vol 60 cc494-5
4. Mr. Greenway

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department does to encourage police visits to schools.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Douglas Hurd)

All forces already recognise the importance of liaison with schools and devote considerable resources to school visiting.

Mr. Nellist

What about the Warwickshire miners? There are 5,000 there.

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman must not shout at me.

Mr. Greenway

Does my right hon. Friend agree that educational visits to schools by the police can do nothing but good in giving the children an appreciation of the difficult job that the police do and of how they can be of service to both the children and the community? Is he aware that there is sometimes opposition to the police making educational visits, and will he do all that he can to overcome that?

Mr. Hurd

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. It is a worry that in a small number of schools, such as those in Hackney, London, the authorities concerned are still refusing, for what appear to be political reasons, to allow police officers to visit them.

Mr. Flannery

If the police go to the schools in any numbers, will the Home Secretary ensure that they are not allowed to group themselves in such a way as to draw their batons and beat up the children?

Mr. Crouch

Oh really.

Mr. Hurd

I am amazed that the hon. Gentleman, coming from his profession, should take that line. We are talking about police officers visiting schools to give lectures, to play football and so on.

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