§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will seek a report from the chief constable of(a) South Yorkshire and (b) West Yorkshire on the total number of police involved in policing fox hunts during the last 12 months; and if he will give the cost involved;
(2) if he will seek a report from the chief constable of (a) South Yorkshire and (b) West Yorkshire listing the number of occasions during the last 12 months, when police video cameras were used to film hunt protesters, showing the locations where they were used.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe policing of hunts and the deployment of officers are operational matters entirely for the discretion of the chief officer. I understand that, over the past year, a total of about 25 officers from South Yorkshire Police have at various times attended fox hunts to deal with disorder. The costs involved are not readily available and could not be determined at disproportionate cost. West Yorkshire police has not deployed officers specifically to police fox hunts. Neither force has used video cameras at fox hunts on any occasion.