§ 19. Mr. Yeoasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been seriously injured while carrying out duties in connection with miners' picket lines.
§ Mr. HurdOf 412 police officers injured between 14 March and 19 June in policing events related to the miners' dispute, 29 of the injuries are recorded as being serious.
§ 23. Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received respecting the cost of policing the industrial dispute in the coal mining industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdMy right hon. and learned Friend announced in reply to a question from my hon. Friend for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) on 11 May, at columns 483–84, the details of a special payment to police authorities in respect of additional costs arising from the policing of the miners' dispute. He has since received representations that further help is necessary. He is considering these representations.
§ 24. Mr. Easthamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from police authorities about the effect on normal policing 212W in their areas of the deployment of police away from their normal geographical locations during the coal mining dispute.
§ Mr. HurdWe have received a number of such representations, with particular reference to the effect on police force budgets of the additional overtime being worked to make up for the absence of police officers from their normal place of duty.
§ 44. Mr. Lewis Stevensasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on police action to prevent violence and intimidation during the present coal mining dispute.
§ 51. Mr. Andrew Stewartasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about the policing of events connected with the current coal mining dispute.
§ 63. Mr. Favellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on police handling of criminal disorder on picket lines.
§ Mr. HurdI refer my hon. Friends to the replies I gave earlier today to questions from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Mr. Lawrence) and my hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Sir W. van Straubenzee).
§ 48. Mr. Leighasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire on the level of offences involving intimidation of working miners.
§ Mr. HurdThe chief constable tells me that numerous acts of intimidation of working miners and their families in his force area have been reported to the police. The acts have included anonymous telephone calls threatening either a miner, a member of his family or property, and damage to miners' homes or vehicles. All acts of intimidation are being investigated thoroughly by the police. In local publicity, people are being encouraged to report such acts to the police, and assured that they will receive urgent and thorough attention, with a view to prosecution wherever possible. A special team of CID officers has been established to pursue allegations of intimidation, and additional uniformed officers are deployed in villages which have been subject to intimidation.
§ 53. Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those charged with offences of violence during the mining dispute have been tried; and what proportion so tried have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment.
§ Mr. MellorThe information available centrally about court proceedings on charges brought in relation to the policing of the miners' dispute does not identify the nature of the offences dealt with: but between 14 March and 19 June the courts dealt with 508 cases. None of those convicted was sentenced to imprisonment; 33 people were acquited.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of pickets who have been injured during the miners' dispute at the latest date.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the cost of policing the miners' dispute to each of the metropolitan counties to the latest available date.
§ Mr. HurdI understand that the Greater Manchester police authority estimates that up to 26 May additional costs of about £750,000 had been incurred on policing the miners' dispute and providing officers on mutual aid to other forces; the Merseyside police authority estimates that up to 17 June total additional costs of about £4.27 million had been incurred; the Northumbria police authority—whose area includes the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear—estimates that up to 15 June total additional costs of about £450,000 had been incurred; the south Yorkshire police authority estimates that up to 14 June mutual aid costing about £1,151,000 had been received; the West Midlands police authority estimates that up to 1 June additional costs of just over £1 million had been incurred on providing mutual aid to other forces and on overtime to maintain police cover in the county; and the West Yorkshire police authority estimates that up to 10 June the additional costs of providing mutual aid amounted to some £589,000. Figures given are for gross costs.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each police force whose officers have been involved in the coal mining dispute the number of complaints made (a) to him by hon. Members and (b) under police complaints procedures.
§ Mr. HurdI shall reply to the hon. Member when such of the information as is available has been analysed in the form requested.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply of 7 June, Official Report, column 215, if he will list the number of police officers from other forces deployed to assist those forces most affected by the miners' dispute since 6 June, and publish in a similar form details of the number of police offices involved from forces most affected.
§ Mr. HurdThe table gives, to the nearest 100, the maximum number of officers from other forces deployed to assist those forces most affected by the dispute during each week or prt of a week, between 6 June and 19 June inclusive. Information as to the number of officers deployed locally is not available.
Maximum number of officers from other forces deployed on any one day Week Number 6 June to 10 June 5,800 11 June to 17 June 5,500 18 June to 19 June 8,100
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimate of the cost of policing the miners' dispute.
§ Mr. HurdI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 21 May at column321.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from each 214W chief constable concerned to provide details of the number of police injured since 4 June dealing with the current miners' dispute.
§ Mr. HurdThe following numbers of officers have been injured, in the period from 5 June to 19 June inclusive, in dealing with events arising from the miners' dispute.
Police force area Number of officers Derbyshire 15 Durham 3 Greater Manchester 6 Kent 12 Metropolitan 4 Northumbria 1 North Yorkshire 3 Nottinghamshire 4 South Yorkshire 44 Staffordshire 2 Total 94
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from each chief constable concerned to provide details for each police force area of the number of pickets arrested from 4 June to date.
§ Mr. HurdThe following numbers of arrests have been made, in the period from 5 June to 19 June inclusive, in connection with events arising from the miners' dispute.
Police force area Number of arrests Derbyshire 88 Durham 14 Essex 1 Greater Manchester 65 Humberside 8 Kent 24 Metropolitan 113 Northumbria 16 North Yorkshire 52 Nottinghamshire 89 South Wales 9 South Yorkshire 119 Staffordshire 7 Warwickshire 6 Total 611