§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of security arrangements for each party political conference held in 1997; and what was such expenditure in each of the preceding three years. [13084]
§ Mr. Michael[holding answer 6 November 1997]: The information requested is set out in the table. In 1996, Dorset Police was given £1.5 million, and this year Lancashire Constabulary and Sussex Police were each given £750,000 in extra Government funding as a contribution towards the additional costs of safeguarding national security at Party conferences in their area.
Cost of policing Party Conferences £ Force 1997 1996 1995 1994 Conservative Party Lancashire 12.5-3 million — 2662,000 — Dorset — 2,847 million — 2,671 million Labour Party Sussex2 12 million — 32,000 — Lancashire — 2,620 million — 290,000 Liberal Democrat Party Nottinghamshire — Nil — — North Yorkshire — — Nil — South Wales 380 — — Nil Sussex2 Nil 6,000 — 3,500 1 Estimate. 2 Lancashire Constabulary and Sussex Police are only able to provide additional costs which are essentially overtime, transport and accommodation costs. In addition, some security expenditure incurred by the political parties on the advice of the police can be recovered from the Home Office in accordance with section 170 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The reimbursed costs are set out in the table:
£ Year Conservative Party Labour Party 1994 463,165 153,449 1995 533,392 65,000 1996 554,806 528,773 1997 n/a n/a n/a = not available.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made concerning security arrangements at each party conference. [13085]
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§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 6 November]: Fourteen written complaints were made in relation to the security arrangements at the Labour Party conference in Brighton this year. I am not aware of any complaints made in relation to security at the Conservative or Liberal Democrat party conferences.