§ Lord Ponsonby of Shulbredeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give details of Metropolitan Police costs at Heathrow Airport for each year since the responsibility was assumed by the Airports Division, and whether they will estimate the proportions of manpower and time allocated to its various principal duties.
§ Lord BelsteadThe amounts charged for police services at Heathrow (including overheads) have been as follows:
£ million 1974–75 (November to March) 1.132 1975–76 2.931 1976–77 3.115 1977–78 3.372 1978–79 4.021 Subject to the outcome of continuing discussions about the percentage addition for overheads, the charges for 1979–80 will be between £5¼ million and £5½ million. The proportions of time devoted to security and routine duties are currently under review, but the most recent estimate is that 50 per cent. of uniformed police time and 12½ per cent. of CID time are spent on security work.
§ Lord Ponsonby of Shulbredeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will detail the sources from which Metropolitan Police costs at Heathrow Airport are met, the basis on which these calculations are made, the system by which overhead costs are allocated among contributions and the proportion of police time currently allocated to anti-terrorist duties.
§ Lord BelsteadPolice costs are met by the British Airports Authority under the Policing of Airports Act 1974. The charges take account,inter alia, of the 576WA number of police personnel directly employed on duties relating to the policing of the airport; the scale used for the recovery of costs for the provision of special services under the Police Act 1964; a percentage addition to cover overheads; and the costs of traffic wardens. Costs attributable to security duties (including overheads) are met from the Aviation Security Fund. Since 1974 50 per cent. of uniformed police costs and 12½ per cent. of CID costs have been reimbursed in this way, but these proportions are under review.