§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give as much detailed information as may be available of the number of arrests made between Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th June in the Metropolitan Police area; on what ground these arrests were made; what charges were levelled; how many of these were for pickpocketing, and the activity generally known as mugging; and how many of these were on the Royal route to and from St. Paul's Cathedral and Trafalgar Square and the environs.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information requested is not readily available for the whole of the Metropolitan Police District.
From information which he and the Commissioner of Police for the City of London have provided, however, I understand that 45 people were arrested on 6th and 7th June in the police sub-divisions through which the route of the Royal procession ran. 39 people were subsequently charged, 18 for offences connected with pickpocketing or suspected pick-pocketing. The other offences charged included theft, burglary, unlawful street 295W trading, indecent exposure and being drunk and disorderly. There were no arrests for offences of robbery, into which category most incidents described as "mugging" fall.