§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of entries in the seen or checked in noteworthy circumstances sub-category of the stolen and suspect vehicle index of the police national computer at the beginning of the miners' strike of 1984; and what was the maximum number recorded in that sub-category during the period of the miners' strike.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe number of entries in the seen or checked in noteworthy circumstances sub-category of the stolen and suspect vehicle index of the police national computer at the beginning of the miners' dispute was 8,402. Over the period of the dispute the number of entries fluctuated between a low of 7,383 in August 1984 and a maximum of 12,285 in February 1985. It stood at 11,647 on 1 June 1985. Vehicles entered on this file are regularly weeded after 14 days.
Inquiries made of all police forces in December 1984 revealed that five forces had at some stage used the stolen and suspect vehicle index in connection with the miners' dispute, but at the time of the inquiries there were only 25 current entries.