§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disproportionate costs are involved in inquiring of chief constables how many prosecutions there have been for failure to wear seat belts; why such information is not yet available; when such information will be available centrally; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdPolice forces submit throughout the year returns to the Home Office on court proceedings which include prosecutions for failure to wear a seat belt. These returns are processed and summarised by the Home Office and the results published annually. The data collection for 1983 is not yet complete, and it would cause considerable284W disruption and expense to police forces to alter the standing arrangements for submitting these returns and bring forward the collection and processing schedule. When all the returns for 1983 have been received, information on seat belt offences will appear in "Offences relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales 1983", a statistical bulletin which it is planned to publish in the autumn.