HC Deb 29 October 1999 vol 336 cc1023-4W
Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions(a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department hold each year with (i) the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and (ii) other senior Metropolitan Police personnel on the policing of state visits to the capital; [96218]

(2) what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department hold each year with (i) the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and (ii) other senior Metropolitan Police personnel on the maintenance of public order within (1) the royal parks and (2) the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster; [96214]

(3) what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department had with (i) the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and (ii) other senior Metropolitan Police personnel on the plans for policing the recent visit of the President of the People's Republic of China. [96215]

Mr. Charles Clarke

[holding answer 28 October 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary meets regularly with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to discuss policing issues in London, and there are regular contacts with the Metropolitan Police at both Ministerial and official level. There were no specific discussions of the issues specified at my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary's meetings, prior to the Chinese State Visit nor, as far as can be ascertained, at other meetings between Ministers and officials and the Metropolitan Police. At a regular meeting between my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and the Commissioner on 27 October, the Commissioner told my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary that the Metropolitan Police were conducting an internal review into the policing of the visit of the President of China.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance representatives from his Department issued to the police responsible for the policing of the visit by the Chinese President pertaining to the treatment of demonstrators. [96581]

Mr. Charles Clarke

None.

Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations were made by his Department to the Royal Parks Police about the policing of the state visit of the President of China. [96490]

Mr. Charles Clarke

None.

Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings were held between his Department and the Royal Parks Police about the policing of the state visit of the President of China. [96489]

Mr. Charles Clarke

None.