HC Deb 19 October 1988 vol 138 c880W
Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has regarding the policing costs associated with the 1988 annual conference of(a) the SDP, (b) the Liberal-Democrats, (c) the Labour party, (d) the Conservative party and (e) any other political party in respect of which additional policing costs arose.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

I understand from the chief constables of Devon and Cornwall and of Lancashire that there were no additional policing costs associated with the 1988 annual conference of the Social Democratic party and that the estimated additional costs of policing the Social and Liberal Democrats' conference and the Labour party conference were £400 and £61,000 respectively.

I also understand from the chief constable of Sussex that it is anticipated that the additional costs of policing the 1988 Conservative party conference will be £1.4 million, subject to the finalising of the accounts.

There is no information held centrally to suggest that any significant additional policing costs are incurred for other political party conferences in England and Wales.