§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will give details of cemeteries by name, location and number of graves maintained in London by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission;
(2) if he will give details by graveyard location of crosses of sacrifice maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in London;
(3) if he will give details by each London graveyard of the amount expended by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on maintenance in each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 22 February 1988]: There are 22,625 war graves in 265 cemeteries in the London area. These graves are maintained by various agencies (usually the cemetery owners) on behalf of the commission. Some maintain them free of charge; others are paid fees. It is not possible to identify the cost of maintaining London cemeteries alone; the current cost nationally is approximately £1.57 million per annum. The commission maintains 65 crosses of sacrifice in cemeteries in the London area.