§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press and public relations officers were involved in the preparation and mounting of the Metropolitan police's press conference following the incidents outside the News International plant on 24 January.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand that the press conference on the afternoon of Sunday 25 January was organised by the area press and publicity officer alone.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about the number of demonstrators injured outside the News International plant in Wapping on 24 January; and how many received hospital treatment.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the police are aware of 40 members of the public being injured, of whom 29 attended hospital. There will have been others whose injuries did not come to police attention.
Mr. Tony Banks asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to who authorised the spraying of indelible dye on demonstrators outside the News International plant in Wapping on 24 January; and how many people stained with dye were subsequently arrested;
(2) what is his policy on the spraying of dye by the Metropolitan police; what guidelines exist covering its use; on how many occasions dye spraying has been used in the past 12 months; where it was used; and how many people stained wih dye were subsequently arrested.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that dye is not sprayed by his force in situations of disorder and never has been. I understand that a tin of red paint was thrown by a demonstrator at Wapping on 24 January.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to who was the officer in direct overall charge of police operations outside the News International plant in Wapping on 24 January; and where the officer in charge was between 7 pm and 9 pm on that evening.
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§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that between 7 pm and 9 pm on 24 January, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jones, the officer in charge of police operations at Wapping, spent some time in the control room at Leman Street police station and some lime at various locations in the vicinity of Virginia Street.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many police officers were present in Wapping in connection with the News International dispute on 24 January.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 1,018 officers were deployed.