§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many officers were involved in the raid on the Vauxhall Tavern public house on 24 January; from which police divisions they were drawn; and what was the cost to public funds of the operation;
(2) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the grounds on which protective clothing was worn by officers during the police raid on the Vauxhall Tavern public house on 24 January; and what specific terms of protective clothing were issued to officers and on whose authority.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 35 officers were involved in the operation, 22 from the Territorial478W Support Group and the remainder from Kennington police station. The raid was a routine operation carried out during a normal police shift and so represented no additional cost to the Metropolitan police. The only protective clothing used was disposable gloves issued on the authority of the officer in charge of the operation to protect officers from the risk of infection by Hepatitis B or AIDS as a result of accidental injury from any drugs paraphernalia which might have been found on individuals searched during the operation.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many complaints concerning alleged drunkenness of persons using the Vauxhall Tavern public house on the night of 24 to 25 January had been made by persons resident in the Vauxhall constituency.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that there were no complaints of drunkenness from Vauxhall residents on the night of 24 to 25 January.