§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, in some police forces, officers attending road accidents in addition to completing accident reports in the normal course of their duties are required to complete up to three sets of statistical returns for the Department of Transport and his Department; 634W why these data cannot be extracted from police accident report books by officials of the Departments concerned, thereby saving police time; and if, in order to utilise police manpower more efficiently, he will advise chief officers that they are under no obligation to undertake these time-consuming extra duties unless they consider it operationally useful to do so.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesNational accident statistics are based on returns made by police forces to the Department of Transport, not the Home Office. Arrangements for the completion of these returns are matters for chief officers of police. The revised three-part form already in use in some areas was resigned in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, and others concerned, and accepted by the association.