asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were clamped in each of the past five years; where most clamping has occurred; what plans he has to extend the areas in which clamping is carried out; and if he will make a statement.

The number of vehicles clamped by the Metropolitan police since operations began on 15 May 1983 is as follows:

	Number
19831	26,808
1984	44,101
1985	34,810
1986	26,028
19872	14,665
1 From 15 May.
2 To 15 February.

The designation of areas in which wheelclamps may be used is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. Since wheelclamping operations began they have been conducted in the area originally designated (parts of the London boroughs of Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster). The designated area was extended by the Immobilisation of Vehicles Illegally Parked (London Boroughs of Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster and the City of London) Order 1986 (S.I. 1225) and from 2 March this year the Metropolitan police began progressively to extend their area of wheelclamping operations with the intention of covering the whole of the extended designated area by the end of the year. The City of London police commenced wheelclamping operations on 20 October 1986 and had clamped 232 vehicles by 31 December. A further 270 vehicles had been clamped up to 13 February 1987.