§ 14. Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many metropolitan police officers have been involved in duties associated with the dispute in the mining industry; and what was the cost involved.
§ Mr. BrittanBetween 14 March and 17 November the number of officers deployed on mutual aid and associated duties each week has averaged 930. The cost involved is estimated at some £11 million, almost all of which will be recovered from the aided forces.
§ 48. Mr. Brandon-Bravoasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the policing of the disorder associated with the coal dispute.
§ Mr. Giles ShawMajor policing operations have continued to be necessary to ensure that people who wish to go to work may do so, and to prevent or deal with acts of intimidation. Between 13 March and the morning of 22 November inclusive, 1,195 police officers were injured while performing duties related to the dispute. In the same period 8,242 people were arrested for offences in connection with the dispute.
§ 50. Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current total of persons (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) convicted and (d) acquitted for alleged participation in incidents of public disorder arising from the coal miners' dispute.
§ Mr. Giles ShawBetween 13 March and 20 November inclusive, 8,174 people were arresed in connection with the miners' dispute. 6,876 of these people have been charged with a variety of offences and 2,626 have been convicted. There have been 704 acquittals. The information available centrally does not distinguish between offences committed in incidents of public disorder and those committed on other occasions.
§ 55. Mr. Woodasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support he is providing for the police during the mining dispute.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Sir J. Biggs-Davison) earlier today.
§ 62. Mr. Barronasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate a public inquiry into the use of the police during the current coal mining dispute.
§ Mr. Giles ShawNo.
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§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total amount of Government money so far spent on policing the miners' strike.
§ Mr. Giles ShawInformation on the total costs of policing the dispute to date is not available. Up to 8 November the Home Office had paid advances of police grant and of the special payment which my right hon. and learned Friend is making available to police authorities on expenditure totalling some £89 million.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will provide details of the occupations of all persons arrested in connection with the mining dispute since 6 March;
(2) if he will give a breakdown of all service men arrested in connection with the mining dispute since 6 March between (a) firemen, (b) members of the armed forces, by service and (c) others.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe information available centrally about the occupations of those arrested relates to the period 13 March to 13 November inclusive and is as follows:
Occupations given by persons arrested between 13 March and 13November inclusive Occupation Number Miners 7,359 Retired miners 5 MPs (including MEP) 4 Transport workers 14 Students 64 Medical workers 5 Non-manual workers 26 Manual workers 173 Firemen 10 Members of HM Forces 1 Housewives 40 Unemployed 152 Retired (non-miners) 2 Not known/given 75 7,930 I refer my hon. Friend also to the reply I gave to a question from him on 16 November at c. 366.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been (a) arrested and (b) charged with offences in connection with the mining dispute or while providing mutual aid in police areas other than their own.
§ Mr. Giles ShawNone.
§ Mr. Yeoasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been injured while maintaining order on miners' picket lines since 1 August.
§ Mr. Giles ShawIn the period from 1 August to 21 November inclusive 618 police officers were injured while carrying out duties in connection with miners' dispute.