§ Mr. Teddy Taylor asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were assaulted in the course of their duties in 1980; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous 10 years.
§ Mr. Mayhew:Information in the form requested is not collected centrally, but information on the numbers of persons prosecuted for the offence of assault on a constable is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—offence classification 104 in table S1.1A of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales Supplementary Tables 1980, Vol 1", proceedings in magistrates' courts.