§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the findings of his official visit to Soho on the night of 1 to 2 April; who accompanied him; and from which budget the visit was funded. [25575]
§ Mr. HowardOn 1 April, as one of a number of visits I undertook that day to Metropolitan police operations, I accompanied members of the Metropolitan police on one of their regular foot patrols in Soho. The patrol provided me with an insight into the reality of day-to-day policing.
From the Department, I was accompanied by a private secretary and, in view of the known media interest in my visit, two press officers. No additional expenditure was incurred as a result of the visit except for nominal overtime costs.