§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost has been of the policing of the Peace Watch demonstration at Gate 10, RAF Fairford; what proportion of this cost was paid for from the Gloucestershire Constabulary budget; how many(a) demonstrators and (b) police were present on each day of the demonstration; and who authorised the notices warning of the authorisation of deadly force to be placed on fences at RAF Fairford. [124194]
§ Ms BlearsThe Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary informs me that he is not able to identify separate costing for policing the Peace Watch demonstration at Gate 10. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has agreed to pay special grant towards the additional costs of policing operations at RAF Fairford.
I understand that for the duration of the Peace Camp there were between 20 and 30 demonstrators. As a general rule there was a unit of one sergeant and six constables in the vicinity of the Peace Camp. Under US service regulations it is normal procedure to place warning notices in particularly sensitive areas within military establishments. Thousands of these notices are used by US military forces around the world to delineate sensitive areas. The reference to the authorisation of deadly force, placed on internal fences only, did not intend to imply that any blanket pre-authorisation had been given.