§ Ms Janet AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the United Kingdom branch of Interpol has received a report on attempts to locate Mr. Ian Lumb;
(2) if he will meet the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen to discuss the case of Mr. Ian Lumb; and if he will make a statement;
(3) when his Department last discussed the case of Mr. Ian Lumb with the Greater Manchester police;
(4) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which his Department intervenes in police operational matters.
§ Mr. MacleanPolice operational matters are entirely the responsibility of individual chief constables.
Home Office officials consulted Greater Manchester police and the United Kingdom National Central Bureau of Interpol about the case of Mr. Ian Lumb on 1 December 1994.
The United Kingdom National Central Bureau of Interpol has not received a report on attempts to locate Mr. Ian Lumb.
148W
Number of offenders convicted at magistrates' courts in the Metropolitan Police District and City of London Police Force Areas and England and Wales for offences involving carrying weapons 1991–1993 Area/Offence 1991 1992 1993 Metropolitan Police District Carrying of offensive weapons without lawful authority or excuse1 860 632 663 Carrying article with blade or point in public place2 736 750 771 City of London Carrying of offensive weapons without lawful authority or excuse1 12 11 6 Carrying article with blade or point in public place2 1 3 4 England and Wales Carrying of offensive weapons without lawful authority or excuse1 3,499 3,200 2,808 Carrying article with blade or point in public place2 1,736 1,846 1,853 1 Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Section 1. May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc. 2 Criminal Justice Act 1988, Section 139. In all the circumstances, I do not believe that a meeting would contribute towards the efforts of the police to locate Mr. Lumb, and I cannot add to the information that the hon. Member has already been given.