§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extra police were drafted to crowd control duties in and around the Palace of Westminster on 14th January; what was 192W the estimated size of the TUC demonstration over which the police were expected to keep order; how many of the police were taken off other duties; what was the estimated cost of the operation; and if he will seek to obtain a reimbursement of the cost to public funds from the TUC or from its members who participated.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells us that 1,506 police officers were engaged on these duties on 14th January; about 8,000 demonstrators were present; all the police officers would have been engaged on other police duties; the additional cost to the Metropolitan Police was about £1,600.
As regards the last part of the Question, the preservation of law and order in public places is a duty of the police and the cost is a proper charge on public funds and not on the organisers of particular events.