§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and 144W most convenient period of time, the number of persons wearing turbans stopped and questioned about failure to wear crash helmets when driving motor cycles; how many of these gave addresses in the London borough of Newham; how many were charged; what were the results; and what are the reasons for such action being taken by the police.
§ Mr. BrittanThe information requested is not available. The information available relates to prosecutions for offences of riding a motor cycle without protective headgear but does not distinguish the circumstances of the offence. In England and Wales, 11,942 such prosecutions were brought in 1978, 11,378 of which resulted in a finding of guilt; details of sentences given is published annually in "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales"—table 4, page 36, of the volume for 1978, Cmnd. 7687. 488 of these prosecutions, including 469 which led to a finding of guilt, were for offences which took place in the Metropolitan Police district; separate figures are not available for the London borough of Newham.