To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of the Police of Metropolis as to how many children and how many adults respectively, are known to have gone missing in the Metropolitan police district each month of the past two years for which records are available; and how many were subsequently traced (a) within a week, (b) within a month, (c) within three months, (d) within six months and (e) not for over six months of report.

It is not possible to give monthly figures in relation to persons reported missing in the Metropolitan police district, and statistical information is not kept regarding the periods of time within which missing persons are traced. However, the following annual figures are given in relation to persons reported missing in the Metropolitan police district in 1988 and 1989.

	1988	1989
Males
Under 14 years	486	2,955
14 to 17 years	937	5,661
18 years +	2,710	4,566
Females
Under 14 years	421	1,587
14 to 17 years	1,091	6,078
18 years +	2,500	4,413
TOTAL	8,145	25,260

Of the 8,145 persons reported missing during 1988, 1,075 were shown centrally as being still missing at the end of the year. Of the 25,260 persons reported missing during 1989, 315 were still missing at the end of the year. The figures for 1989 are not comparable with those of previous years owing to new recording procedures having been introduced.

To ask 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 how many inquiries the Metropolitan police received from other forces in respect of missing persons during the last year for which records are available.

The total number of missing persons reports received by the Metropolitan police from other forces during 1989 was 6,913.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has consulted the European Economic Community countries which operate a national register for missing persons with a view to setting up such a register in the United Kingdom.

We are not consulting EC member states direct. We hope instead to build on existing arrangements for the exchange of information internationally about missing persons, via the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make it his policy to comply with the recommendation of the Association of Chief Police Officers to create a national register for missing persons; and if he will make a statement.

We are investigating the best and most cost-effective means of establishing a national missing persons register. A feasibility study has been commissioned to examine the possibility of putting missing persons data on the planned replacement for the police national computer system. We expect to receive the report on this study next month.