§ Mr. Hillasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many robberies have taken place in sub post offices (a) nationally and (b) in the Southampton area in the most recent period for which figures are available; how many robberies involved (a) violence, (b) use of firearms and (c) use of other offensive weapons; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. MayhewInformation collected centrally on the location of recorded offences of robbery in which firearms were reported to have been used separately identifies offences at all types of post office by police force area; in 1980, the latest year for which information is available, 100 such robberies were recorded by the police in England and Wales, 8 of these being recorded in Hampshire. All offences classified as robbery imply some form of violence or threat of violence but information collected centrally does not cover details of its extent. Information is not collected centrally on the use of other offensive weapons. We are keeping the subject of robberies in post offices under close review.