To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable for Merseyside into the amount of time, the number of police personnel and the cost to the police authority of the inquiries that have been conducted into the affairs of Mr. Les Huckfield.

I understand from the Chief Constable of Merseyside that to date five police officers have been involved in the inquiries at different times, each on a part-time basis. It is not possible accurately to estimate the time spent and the cost of the inquiries.