asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of his statement that the police had a 30 per cent. pay increase a year ago, if he will publish in the Official Report the average weekly sums paid in basic wages before overtime to uniformed police constables in the Metropolitan Police District during the year 1974, 1975 and the first six months of 1976 indicating the percentage increase that this represents from one year to the next.

The percentage increase under the police pay award from 1st September 1975 varied according to rank, but the average increase in basic pay amounted to about 30 per cent. I regret that the specific information sought could not be made available save at disproporitionate cost, but I will look further into the matter.