asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the boats that assembled and blew their hooters on the river outside Parliament on the morning of 10 January constituted a demonstration. [HL1304]

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police informs me that there was a demonstration involving 20 commercial vessels on the River Thames outside Parliament on 10 January. The demonstration was not authorised by the Metropolitan Police as required under Sections 132 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. I understand that the Metropolitan Police intend to write to the owners of each vessel informing them that they held an unauthorised demonstration and explaining how they should go about applying for authority to demonstrate in the future.