§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police have been deployed for duties in connection with the dispute in the mining industry since the start of the current dispute.
§ Mr. HurdThe number of police officers deployed has varied from day to day. On occasion about 7,000 officers from other forces have been deployed to assist the forces most affected by the dispute. Large numbers of local police officers have also been deployed.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from chief constables about the interpretation of police powers during the dispute in the mining industry.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what total contribution his Department is making to meet the costs, including overtime payments, of the police as a consequence of the deployment of police in connection with the dispuute in the mining industry;
(2) what steps he is taking to assist local authorities faced with overtime payments to their police as a result of police being deployed for duties in connection with the dispute in the mining industry;
(3) what additional grants are to be made to local authorities to cover extra policing as a consequence of the development of police in connection with the dispute in the mining industry.
§ Mr. HurdCentral Government pay 50 per cent. of police expenditure through police grant, and rate support block grant is payable on the remainder. My right hon. and learned Friend has told the Nottinghamshire police committee that he recognises that some additional help from central Government will be needed in Nottinghamshire in view of the exceptional and substantial burden placed on the resources of the county council. He will consider the matter sympathetically and generously when the full amount of the extra expenditure is known.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has also agreed to exempt from grant holdback the additional part of a local authority's expenditure in 1983–84 which arises from the policing of the miners' industrial action.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimate of the total cost of police overtime payments as a consequence of police being deployed for duties in connection with the dispute in the mining industry.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from each chief constable concerned which will provide details for each police force area of the number of pickets arrested from 27 March to date.
§ Mr. HurdThe information available centrally is about arrests for actions which the chief constables376W concerned judge have been related to the miners' dispute. The figures for 27 March to 30 March inclusive are as follows:
Force area Number of arrests Derbyshire 77 Leicestershire 1 Northumbria 24 Nottinghamshire 164 South Yorkshire 47 Staffordshire 3 Warwickshire 27 Total 343
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from each chief constable concerned which will provide details of the number of police injured since the miners' recent overtime ban began; and at which pit.
§ Mr. HurdFigures for the number of police officers in England and Wales injured in dealing with events arising from the current miners' dispute are available centrally for the period between 14 and 30 March inclusive, and relate to police force areas. They are as follows:
Force area Number of police injured Derbyshire 13 Leicestershire 1 Nottinghamshire 3 South Yorkshire 17 Warwickshire 1 Total 35
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from the appropriate chief constables as to whether political questions relating to voting at general elections and internal elections within the National Union of Mineworkers have been asked by their officers of miners arrested during the current industrial conflict; and if he will make a statement on the substance of the reports.
§ Mr. HurdI have asked the chief constable of Nottinghamshire for a report on allegations about questions put by police officers to people at Mansfield police station on 27 March. I shall reply when I have received and considered the report.