HL Deb 13 March 2001 vol 623 cc88-90WA
Lord Berkeley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 26 February (WA 115–16) which stated that the Royal Parks Agency discourages the Metropolitan Police using park footpaths as a short cut, "as much as we are able to because it could be a hazard to park users", on how many occasions in the last year the Metropolitan Police have driven cars or motorcycles on footpaths or cycle ways in the Royal Parks for the purpose of (a) apprehending criminals; (b) avoiding road traffic congestion; and (c) other reasons. [HL1051]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, William Weston. I have asked them to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from the Chief Executive of the Royal Parks Agency, William Weston, dated 13 March 2001.

I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the use of footpaths in the Royal Parks by Metropolitan Police vehicles.

I am afraid I am unable to say on how many occasions the Metropolitan Police drive along footpaths or cycleways in the Royal Parks as they do not tell us and we do not log individual incidents that we become aware of.