§ 14. Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any representations from local police authorities in regard to the costs of policing the miners' picket lines.
§ 15. Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet able to give the cost of the police operations in the miners' dispute.
§ 30. Mr. Beaumont-Darkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet able to give figures for the cost of policing the miners' dispute.
§ 48. Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of additional policing operations required to maintain public order during the recent industrial action by the National Union of Mineworkers.
§ 54. Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the total cost of policing connected with the present dispute in the coal industry.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the average daily cost of policing the current industrial dispute between the National Union of Mineworkers and the National Coal Board.
§ Mr. BrittanI have received representations from a number of police authorities about the additional costs arising from the policing of the miners' dispute. While it will be some time before I am able to make a reliable estimate of the total costs, it is clear that they will impose a severe burden on the finances of some police authorities. For this reason, I announced, in reply to a question from208W my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) on 11 May, at columns 483–84, the details of a special payment which I am prepared to make, in addition to police grant, in respect of these costs.
§ 42. Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contribution his Department will be making to the Lancashire county police authority to defray the cost of policing pickets in the mining dispute within the county.
§ Mr. HurdFifty per cent. of all approved police expenditure in England and Wales is met by the Home Office through a police grant. My right hon. and learned Friend announced in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) on 11 May, at columns 483–84, the details of a special payment which he is prepared to make, in addition to police grant, in respect of approved additional expenditure arising from the policing of the miners' dispute. We cannot yet say whether or to what extent the Lancashire police authority will benefit from this special payment.
§ 46. Dr Mawhinneyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Cambridgeshire police man hours have so far been devoted to preserving law and order in connection with the current miners' strike.
§ Mr. HurdI understand from the chief constable of Cambridgeshire that up to 16 May some 95,161 man-hours have been spent in helping other forces in duties connected with the policing of the miners' dispute.
§ 51. Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report copies of all communications he has had with chief constables and police authorities about police conduct during the miners' strike.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to receive the report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire over the questions asked of miners who had been arrested; and what are the reasons for the delay in answering the original question tabled by the hon. Member for Walsall, North for answer on 2 April.
§ Mr. HurdThe chief constable has now provided me with a report on allegations about questions put by police officers to people at Mansfield police station on 27 March. The report was delayed to establish whether or not the allegations were to become the subject of a formal complaint, under section 49 of the Police Act 1964. Such a complaint has now been made, and it would not be right for me to comment on the allegations further at this stage.