asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to details of any 24-hour or part-day armed patrols deployed by the Metropolitan police in the last year, indicating the areas covered and the number and ranks of the officers involved.

It would not be right to add to the information given in my reply of 2 March, as to do so could prejudice the arrangements made for the security of the diplomatic community.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis stating the number of persons who have been contacted by the Metropolitan police, in the last year, to confirm that photographs taken by the police had been destroyed in accordance with force procedures.

No. Paragraph 4·1 of the code of practice for the identification of persons by police officers requires the police to notify an arrested person whose photograph is taken that it will be destroyed if he is prosecuted for the offence and cleared, or is not prosecuted, unless he admits the offence and is cautioned for it, and that he may witness its destruction. There is, however, no requirement on the police under the code to notify persons that their photographs have been destroyed.