§ Mr. GouldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail ministerial visits from his Department to North Tyneside in(a) 1990 and (b) 1991; and give details of meetings with representatives of the local authority which occurred during these visits.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerIn June 1990 my predecessor visited magistrates at Tynemouth and the victim support scheme in North Shields. I visited North Tyneside on 1 November this year when I went to North Shields police station and a local probation hostel and toured the Meadow Well estate during which I met representatives of the Northumbria police authority and of the local probation committee.
§ Mr. GouldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the percentage changes in police staffing levels for North Tyneside local authority area between 1977 and 1990.
§ Mr. Peter LloydIt is for the chief constable to decide how available manpower should be deployed around the force area, within the total police establishment authorised by the Home Secretary. I understand from the chief constable that in December 1977 there were 305 police officers in the North Tyneside division. By December 1990 this had increased to 436 officers, an increase of 43 per cent. or 131 officers. Separate figures for North Tyneside metropoltan district are not available.