§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis has taken to ensure that crime levels are accurately reported in the local press; and if he will make a statement. [31545]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Commissioner tells me that the Metropolitan Police's Performance Information Bureau (PIB) collates information centrally including divisional crime statistics. If journalists contact the Metropolitan Police to request crime figures they should be dealt with by the press bureau at New Scotland yard or be referred to one of the five area press offices, which will liaise with PIB. Figures would be given out automatically if they were already in the public domain, for example in one of the Metropolitan Police's publications, or have been given out by local police commanders at public meetings or to Police Community Consultative Groups. From time to time, senior officers take the initiative personally to brief local media about their crime figures. The accuracy of the reporting of the information given to them is the responsibility of the journalists concerned, but the press bureau would seek to correct any inaccuracies or misinterpretations which came to their attention.