§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figure for the number of police deployed or embussed in reserve, respectively, on each demonstration outside South Africa house since 1 January.
§ Mr. HurdI have asked the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for the information requested, and will reply when it is available.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department where is the information held on the number of arrests made by Metropolitan police officers in pursuance of their duty under articles 22 and 29 of the Vienna convention and the embassies involved; and if he will ask the Commissioner to collate this information centrally.
§ Mr. HurdNeither the convention, nor the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 which gives effect to it, creates offences or provide a power of arrest. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that information about arrests made under the criminal law in circumstances in which his officers have been acting in pursuance of their duty under the convention, and about occasions on which his officers have been required to act in pursuance of that duty, is held at the police stations in the Districts concerned. I shall discuss with the commissioner whether in future the information might be collected centrally.