§ Mr. Kaufmanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received or sought, from chief constables in England and Wales and from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to enable him to quantify the effect of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 on violence and crowd disturbances at football matches; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Giles ShawChief officers of police believe that the Act is helping to maintain order at football grounds, but is is not possible to separate its effect from the other measures taken, including for example the extension of closed circuit television. As my right hon. Friend said in reply to a question following his statement to the House on the Popplewell report on 16 January at column 1232, the number of arrests and ejections from football grounds in the earlier part of the season was much reduced. Together with the football authorities, the Government remain determined to tackle the problem of football hooliganism, and further legislative steps are being taken in the Public Order Bill now before Parliament.