To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the total cost of police time, for each of the last three years, of all activities relating to traffic management, including attendance at accidents and court appearances relating to Road Traffic Act offences.

In 1987, 1988 and 1989, approximately 8 per cent. of the total police strength in England and Wales was deployed on specialist traffic duties. The proportion of non-specialist officers' time spent on traffic matters is not recorded. The total costs could not be reliably estimated.