§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public petitions has he, or the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, received in the past five years concerning proposed closures of local police stations; to what stations they referred; and what was the approximate number of signatures on each petition.
§ Mr. BrittanIt would involve disproportionate cost to make an exhaustive check, but the following information is available as to petitions about the closure or alteration of status of the stations named and the approximate number of signatures. In some cases the petition followed press speculation about the future of a station, and the receipt of a petition does not imply that the closure or alteration of status of the station was even contemplated.
Petitions received by the Commissioner Sidcup 1,300 Erith and Belvedere 40 Belvedere 1,800 Barnes 40 Barnes 800 Barnes 100 Barnes 200 Barnes/Richmond 1,000 Richmond 2,000 Richmond 300 Sunbury 60 Winchmore Hill 150 Gerald Road 9,800 Bow 700 St. John's Wood 7,600 St. John's Wood 20 Highgate 2,500 Hornsey 30 Upminster 60 Harold Hill 60
Other Petitions received by the Home Secretary and forwarded to the Commissioner Wallington 100 Belvedere and Erith 2,400 Cobham 5,100 East Molesey 2,700 Note
The information in the first part of the table has been compiled from records kept centrally by the Metropolitan Police, and may not include some petitions which were received and retained locally.