§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time nationally and in the Metropolitan police area the number of actual or attempted armed robberies at post offices and sub-post offices, the number where sawn-off shotguns were used or observed and the number of arrests and successful prosecutions; and whether Her Majesty's Government will arrange for the police and the postal authorities to have an investigation made to improve the safety and security arrangements at these offices.
§ Mr. MayhewThe information readily available is set out in the following table. The other information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Offences of Robbery at Post Offices Recorded by the Police in which Firearms were Reported to have been Used—England and Wales 1981 Number of offences Type of weapon Total Metropolitan police district Elsewhere Sawn-off shotguns 44 29 15 Other firearms 174 127 47 TOTAL 218 156* 62 * Forty-eight persons were arrested in 1981 in connection with robberies on post offices in the Metropolitan police district. The police and postal authorities are already in contact, as required, about safety and security arrangements at post offices and sub-post offices.