§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the chief constable of the West Midlands police as to the number of summonses which have been issued against officers of their forces for alleged assault on private citizens and the number of cases in which each force has been required to pay compensation to the plaintiff.
§ Mr. Giles Shaw[pursuant to his reply, 13 February, c. 517]: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that for 1985 the information is as follows:
Civil actions against officers of the Metropolitan Police for assault (note 1) against members of the public; 1985 Number Payments made £ Actions initiated in 1985 63 Actions completed (notes 2 and 3) in 1985: (a) By decisions of a court 4 3,255 (b) By settlement out of court 31 108,145 14W
Overseas students studying in Britain 1979–80 to 1985–86 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 (a) ODA (i) Financed during year 16,021 14,215 13,451 11,710 11,847 12,841 *13,500 (ii) Here on 31 December 8,240 6,597 5,441 4,758 5,303 5,120 *5,500 (b) FCO (Other Sources) (i) Financed during year 209 215 204 229 2,595 3,780 *3,800 (ii) Here on 31 December 209 215 204 229 2,500 3,720 3,692 Totals (i) Financed during year 16,230 14,430 13,655 11,939 14,442 16,621 *17,300 (ii) Here on 31 December 8,449 6,812 5,645 4,987 7,803 8,840 9,192 Total No. Overseas Students (here on 31 December, University and 1 November, Other) 87,800 85,300 75,000 64,200 56,600 55,400 55,500 *Estimated. Notes:
1. Assault was not necessarily the only cause of action.
2. The figures of actions completed do not include four cases settled in 1985 in which proceedings were not formally initiated against the Metropolitan Police because the force admitted liability. Payments made in these cases totalled £9,500.
3. Of the 35 Metropolitan Police cases completed in 1985, only five (all out of court settlements) were cases initiated in that year.
I understand from the chief constable of West Midlands police that eight such actions were initiated against officers of the force in 1985 but information about actions completed in that year is not readily available.