HC Deb 18 May 1988 vol 133 cc463-4W
Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has as to the total cost to police forces in England and Wales of using

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)
Police Air Unit1 Number of occasions where aircraft called to incidents involving Number of occasions in (ii) where arrests made Number of arrests (where information available) Period Covered
Burglary Theft
Devon and Cornwall — — 14 — 12 months to May 1988
Hampshire 35 45 10 — 12 months to May 1988
Midlands (comprising West Midlands, Staffordshire, West Mercia and Warwickshire) 7 32 29 94 July 1987 to May 1988
TOTAL 42 77 53 94
1 Excludes the Metropolitan police and Thames Valley air support units, where information is not kept in the form requested.

Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to discuss with chief constables the circumstances in which aeroplanes are used for the purpose of crime detection and prevention; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

No, but it is intended to circulate to chief constables later this year:

  1. (i) an information package containing advice and guidance about the use of aircraft for police operations; and

aeroplanes or other airborne transport, including fuel, maintenance and staff costs, for detecting or apprehending motorists exceeding speed limits over the past 12 months;

(2) what information he has as to which police forces have utilised aeroplanes or any other airborne transport during the past 12 months for the purpose of detecting or apprehending motorists exceeding speed limits, and on how many occasions.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

A Home Office-sponsored experiment was carried out by the West Midlands police air support unit in February 1988, over a stretch of the M42, covering the West Midlands and West Mercia force areas, to assess how the presence of a police aircraft on patrol affected motorists' speed and road safety generally. There were three flights over a two-week period, totalling four hours 45 minutes. The experiment was funded by the Home Office and the cost to the forces concerned was limited to the salaries of the police observers. There is no record of other police air support units in England and Wales using aircraft for this purpose during the past 12 months.

Mr. Greg Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has as to which police forces have utilised aeroplanes or any other airborne transport during the past 12 months for the purpose of detecting or clearing up offences of burglary, not connected with terrorism; and on how many occasions;

(2) what information he has as to which police forces have utilised aeroplanes or any other airborne transport during the past 12 months for the purpose of detecting or clearing up offences of theft, not connected with terrorism; and on how many occasions.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The available information is as follows:

  1. (ii) a report on the cost-effectiveness of the midlands air operation which was set up on a trial basis in 1987.