HC Deb 06 December 1999 vol 340 cc409-10W
Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is standard practice for minutes not be taken of meetings held between officials of his Department and the Metropolitan Police on security matters relating to state visits. [101293]

Mr. Battle

It has not been standard practice to take minutes of such meetings.

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he or his officials have had access to minutes taken by the Metropolitan Police of meetings between his officials and the police in relation to the visit of the Chinese President. [101354]

Mr. Battle

There are no such minutes.

Siobhain McDonagh

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on those detained by the police during the state visit of the President of China to the UK. [101891]

Mr. Battle

Following a further review, I am now able to give figures for arrests for activities related to the State Visit in all police areas visited by the Chinese President. As I made clear in the Debate on the Address, no-one was charged. As the Minister of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke) said on 5 November 1999,Official Report, column 366W, 15 people were arrested in the Metropolitan Police Area. I regret that I may have implied during the Debate on the Address that there were no arrests. I can now confirm that, in addition to those above, one person was arrested in the City of London. There were no arrests in Cambridge. I reconfirm that no one was charged in any of these police areas.