asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the cost to public funds of the emergency operations mounted by the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, the Metropolitan Police and the fire service as a result of the explosions at the premises of Wormesley Boome Chemicals Ltd.; and what proportion of this will be borne from central and local government funds, respectively.

Details of costs are not available. The usual grant-in-aid arrangements will apply to expenditure by local authorities and by the Metropolitan Police.