asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the information he has regarding the activities of taxi and other touts at London airports causing a nuisance to overseas visitors; what steps he plans to take to stop these practices; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised by the Commissioner that he takes this problem seriously, to the extent that 10 officers are employed in dealing with touting at Heathrow airport, where more than 600 offences were dealt with last year. The other London airports are not in the Metropolitan police district.