HC Deb 22 October 1984 vol 65 cc432-5W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked 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 and their known occupation from 18 July to date.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The following number of arrests have been made, in the period from 18 July to 16 October inclusive, in connection with events arising from the miners' dispute:

Police force area Number of arrests
Cleveland 33
Cumbria 25
Derbyshire 442
Durham 162
Essex 4
Greater Manchester 49
Gwent 58
Humberside 45
Kent 129
Leicestershire 25
Merseyside 121
Northumbria 318
North Wales 10
North Yorkshire 43
Nottinghamshire 556
South Wales 160
South Yorkshire 366
Staffordshire 131
Warwickshire 30
West Yorkshire 42
TOTAL 2,749

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from each chief constable to provide details in an average week of the number of police on duty by force area in connection with the mining dispute.

Mr. Giles Shaw

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from each chief constable to provide details of the number of police injured since 17 July dealing and involved with the current miners' dispute.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The following numbers of police have been injured, in the period from 18 July to 16 October inclusive, in dealing with events arising from the miners' dispute:

Police force area Numbers injured
Cleveland 2
Derbyshire 82
Durham 10
Greater Manchester 2
Gwent 1
Kent 40
Merseyside 4
Northumbria 10
North Yorkshire 11
Nottinghamshire 10
South Wales 3
South Yorkshire 95
Staffordshire 9
Sussex 2
West Yorkshire 105
Total 386

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will tabulate in the Official Report the numbers of police officers sent out of the Metropolitan Police area for duty in connection with industrial disputes during each week from 5 March to date.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The information requested is as follows:

Number of police officers sent outside the Metropolitan Police District each week since 5 March 1984 in connection with industrial disputes.
Week commencing Number
4 March 1984
11 March 696
18 March 1,070
25 March 787
1 April 999
8 April 934
15 April 700
22 April 239
29 April 233
6 May 466
13 May 466
20 May 584
27 May 490
3 June
10 June
17 June 1,088
24 June 647
1 July 976
8 July 1,044
15 July 1,252
22 July 1,044
29 July 1,044
5 August 510
12 August 1,067
19 August 1,395
26 August 1,393
2 September 1,956

Number of police officers sent outside the Metropolitan Police District each week since 5 March 1984 in connection with industrial disputes.
9 September 1,390
16 September 1,345
23 September 1,623
30 September 1,381
7 October 1,809

The periods of duty involved ranged from one day to 8 days.

Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Official Report, a table showing for the duration of the miners' strike for (a) Warwickshire, (b) the National Coal Board Midlands area, and (c) nationally, the number of people convicted of an offence who received the following sentences (i) custodial sentence, (ii) detention centre, (iii) day in police custody, (iv) suspended sentence, (v) remanded in custody, (vi) youth custody, (vii) fine (a) under £50, (b) £50, or over but under £100, (c) £100 or over but under £200 and (d) £200 or over, (viii) conditional or absolute discharge (ix) bound over to keep the peace, and (x) any other sentence not covered by the above.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The information available centrally in respect of Warwickshire and of England and Wales relates to the period 13 March to 16 October inclusive and is as follows:

Type of sentence Warwickshire England and Wales
Custodial 0 43
Detention Centre 0 6
Detained in police custody 0 9
Suspended sentence 0 25
Remanded in custody 0 13
Youth custody order 0 2
Fine under £50 37 fines of £25–£200 (no more detailed figures are available centrally 267
Fine under £50–£99 558
Fine£100–£199 315
Fine £200 and over 2 104
Condititional/Absolute discharge 9 206
Bound over to keep the peace 15 650
Any other sentence 0 6

Similar information is not available in respect of the National Coal Board's south Midlands area. Information is collated centrally on the basis of police force areas, to which the NCB regional areas do not correspond.

Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Official Report a table showing for the duration of the miners' strike for (a) Warwickshire, (b) the National Coal Board Midlands area and (c) nationally, the numbers of people (i) arrested, (ii) how many of those arrested have been charged with an offence, (iii) how many of those arrested and charged are on court bail and how many of them have had their cases dealt with, (iv) how many have been convicted and, (v) how many have been acquitted.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The information available centrally in respect of Warwickshire and of England and Wales relates to the period 13 March to 16 October inclusive and is as follows:

Warwickshire England and Wales
Number of arrests 162 7,318
Number of charges 130 6,151
Number of those on court bail 75 3,579
Cases dealt with 55 2,384
Convictions 45 1,921
Acquittals 10 463

Similar information is not available in respect of the National Coal Board's south Midlands area. Information is collated centrally on the basis of police force areas, to which the NCB regional areas do not correspond.

Mr. Caborn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and from which police forces, have been (a) returned from duties during the present pit dispute for acts of misconduct or conduct of a criminal nature and (b) have been arrested on criminal charges connected with their duties during the present pit dispute; and if he will list the acts of misconduct and criminal charges concerned.

Mr. Giles Shaw

I shall write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mineworkers have been arrested during the miners' dispute; how many are on bail; and how many have been imprisoned.

Mr. Giles Shaw

In the period 13 March to 16 October inclusive the total number of those arrested in connection with the miners' dispute was 7,318 of whom 6,828 are known to be miners. At the end of the same period, 3,579 people were on court bail, and 43 people had received custodial sentences. Information about the number of mine workers on bail or imprisoned is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total financial cost to the South Yorkshire county council of police operations during the miners' strike; and how much he has helped to cover the cost of these operations.

Mr. Giles Shaw

I understand that up to 17 September the South Yorkshire police authority had incurred total additional expenditure of £7.679 million as a result of the miners' dispute. The authority has received from the Home Office in respect of this expenditure advances of police grant and of the special payment which my right hon. and learned Friend made available totalling £6.458 million. He announced on 9 October that no police authority would have to meet from the rates more than the product of ¾ penny rate. In South Yorkshire this is £1.055 million and, since the police authority's share of the cost has already reached this figure, all further approved additional expenditure resulting from the dispute will be reimbursed from central funds.