§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he is satisfied that the same criteria for the issue of firearms are applied in each district of the Metropolitan police;
(2) further to the answer of 14 March, Official Report, c. 9, on how many of the 489 occasions when firearms were issued to officers of E district of the Metropolitan police anyone was arrested; and in how many cases they proved to be armed;
(3) further to the answer of 14 March, Official Report, c. 9, how many guns were issued on each of the 489 occasions guns were issued to officers of E district of the Metropolitan police;
(4) why the number of occasions firearms were issued to officers of E district of the Metropolitan police in 1982 was 2.5 times the average for Metropolitan police districts.
§ Mr. MayhewWe will reply as soon as possible.