§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for each of the last five years or other convenient period, how much money has been paid in and out of court by his Department or the police on behalf of policemen as a result of any action brought against them;
(2) whether he will give for each year during the last five years, or other convenient period, how much money has been paid in or out of court by the Home Office or the Metropolitan Police on behalf of policemen as a result of claims or actions brought against them, whether before or after the commencement of action against officers of the Metropolitan Police, giving the number of such actions and the amounts paid out for (a) action or claims for false imprisonment or malicious prosecution, (b) assault or trespass to the person, (c) personal injury actions arising as a result of a motoring accident, (d) personal injury actions resulting from non-motoring accidents, and (e) actions arising out of contract, respectively.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe Home Office has made no payment in or out of court on behalf of police officers as a result of any action brought against them. The settlement of actions and claims against members of provincial police forces is a matter for individual police authorities in accordance with the terms of Section 48(4) of the Police Act 1964. Information about the amounts paid by such authorities is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
The total amount—not including legal costs—paid by the Metropolitan Police 124W each year for the last five years in respect of claims or actions brought for false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, assault or trespass to the person, together with the total number of actions, etc. in respect of which the payments were made for each year, is set out below. It is impossible to distinguish the payments made in respect of each cause of action because in many cases the payment would be made in respect of more than one cause of action:
Number of actions in respect of which payments have been made Total amount paid £ 1973 3 200 1974 2 725 1975 9 2,668 1976 7 7,521 1977 4 1,150 There were also payments of £5,500 for detinue and £1,432 for conspiracy to defraud.
Payments made in settlement of civil claims and actions against Metropolitan Police officers and civil staff, in respect of traffic accident personal injuries, property damage and loss were as follows:
Financial year Amount of payment out of MP F and (to nearest £) 1972–73 58,426 1973–74 99,537 1974–75 91,599 1975–76 77,700 1976–77 101,767 Records are not readily available of the precise number of personal injury actions or claims in the five-year period; subject to liability the vast majority are settled by negotiation and without recourse to litigation. In the past 30 months there have been 26 personal injury civil actions against Metropolitan Police officers, of which 25 arose from road traffic accidents. In the same period one payment—of £40—was made in settlement of a non-motoring accident personal injury claim.
No payments have been made from the Metropolitan Police Fund in settlement of actions or claims arising out of contract.