§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the police operation in England and Wales on Monday 19 March in the action against the mineworkers' flying pickets.
§ Mr. HurdInformation about the cost of the policing required because of the picketing on 19 March is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire about how many police were deployed on Monday 19 March in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.
§ Mr. HurdThe chief constable has reported to me that he judges that it could prejudice the effective policing of the current situation in Nottinghamshire to publish the information sought while similar operations are continuing in the area.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire about whether the police in the action against the National Union of Mineworkers' flying pickets on Monday 19 March were issued with special equipment.
§ Mr. HurdThe chief constable of Nottinghamshire tells me that those of his officers who were deployed to deal with difficulties created by pickets were not issued with specialised equipment. Some wore protective clothing such as reinforced helmets which are used on many police operations. As part of the standard arrangements for the provision of mutual aid from one police force to another, some of the officers from other forces who were on duty in Nottinghamshire had brought equipment such as shields with them. This equipment was not used.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire about the cost of the deployment of the police in the Nottinghamshire coalfield on Monday 19 March.
§ Mr. HurdThe chief constable tells me that the cost of the police operation has yet to be calculated accurately.
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§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire about the number and type of vehicles used by the police in the Nottinghamshire coalfield on Monday 19 March.
§ Mr. HurdThe precise information sought is not available to the chief constable of Nottinghamshire and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The chief constable has, however, told me that the vehicles used were normal police vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, together with coaches of various sizes.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were used in England and Wales on Monday 19 March in the action against the mineworkers' flying pickets.
§ Mr. HurdOn Monday 19 March a total of some 7,000 officers from other forces were available to assist forces having to perform duties in connection with the current dispute. In addition, large numbers of local police officers were deployed in the force areas where mines were working.
§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Northumbria about why, and under what authority, a group of people from Scotland were prevented from leaving their car in Ashington, Northumberland, on 19 March and escorted by police to the Scottish border.
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All forces in England and Wales Strength on 31 December 1982 1983 Police officers civilians* Ratio of police officers to civilians Police officers civilains* Ratio of police officers to civilians Avon and Somerset 2,996 711 1:0.24 2,985 753 1:0.25 Bedfordshire 989 309 0.31 999 308 0.31 Cambridgeshire 1,142 333 0.29 1,137 336 0.30 Cheshire 1,829 417 0.23 1,832 415 0.23 Cleveland 1,464 307 0.21 1,464 306 0.21 Cumbria 1,101 267 0.24 1,111 280 0.25 Derbyshire 1,754 705 0.40 1,766 703 0.40 Devon and Cornwall 2,729 810 0.30 2,724 820 0.30 Dorset 1,184 318 0.27 1,171 357 0.30 Durham 1,336 383 0.29 1,308 478 0.37 Dyfed Powys 930 200 0.22 924 204 0.22 Essex 2,633 633 0.24 2,628 727 0.28 Gloucestershire 1,133 227 0.20 1,144 245 0.21 Greater Manchester 6,998 1,518 0.22 6,931 1,541 0.22 Gwent 969 216 0.22 962 228 0.24 Hampshire 3,080 704 0.23 3,073 726 0.24 Hertfordshire 1,561 384 0.25 1,566 381 0.24 Humberside 1,964 499 0.25 1,965 533 0.27 Kent 2,879 853 0.30 2,839 866 0.31 Lancashire 3,165 714 0.23 3,125 878 0.28 Leicestershire 1,725 445 0.26 1,736 460 0.26 Lincolnshire 1,183 328 0.28 1,178 335 0.28 Merseyside 4,632 1,199 0.26 4,604 1,222 0.27 Norfolk 1,266 274 0.22 1,278 279 0.22 Northamptonshire 1,000 258 0.26 1,001 274 0.27 Northumbria 3,329 871 0.26 3,337 902 0.27 North Wales 1,303 327 0.25 1,275 351 0.28 North Yorkshire 1,368 335 0.24 1,354 341 0.25 Nottinghamshire 2,250 615 0.27 2,227 645 0.29 South Wales 3,096 876 0.28 3,082 892 0.29 South Yorkshire 2,875 651 0.23 2,858 675 0.24 Staffordshire 2,099 629 0.30 2,090 639 0.31 Suffolk 1,124 350 0.31 1,123 363 0.32 Surrey 1,602 362 0.23 1,574 392 0.25
§ Mr. HurdThe chief constable tells me that at 3.15 am on 19 March three motor cars carrying a number of men arrived at the National Union of Miners trade union hall in Ashington. A police constable approached the men, who informed him that they were from Scotland and intended to take part in the picketing of coal mines in Northumbria. The men entered the hall. A police inspector informed them that the Northumbria police apprehended that the picketing would involve breaches of the peace, and advised them to return to Scotland. The chief constable says his officers merely advised the men to leave and that no compulsion was involved. The advice to leave was, I understand, endorsed by a local trade union official who was present. At 4 am the men decided to leave the hall and to return to Scotland. As they were returning to their cars, two more cars arrived carrying a further group of men from Scotland. Those in the second group were similarly advised by the police and the local trade union official that they should return to Scotland. They decided to do so and the five vehicles left together. A police car followed the cars to the Northumberland border.