HC Deb 13 January 1994 vol 235 cc328-9
15. Mr. Clapham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will lift the freeze on police recruitment in the next financial year.

Mr. Charles Wardle

There is no recruitment freeze. Forces remain free to recruit up to their authorised establishment.

Mr. Clapham

I hear what the Minister says, but does he agree that although the police are free to recruit, they need to be supported by resources? In his reforms of the police, will the Home Secretary consider that they need further resources, will he ensure that those resources are available and, in making those resources available, will he take into consideration the partnership that needs to be forged between the police, the local community and local authorities?

Mr. Wardle

That is precisely why the police spending provision will increase next year by 4.4 per cent., precisely why 279 extra police posts have been approved in South Yorkshire since 1979—an extra 10 per cent.—and why, since 1979, across the country we have some 16,600 more uniformed police officers.

Mr. Lidington

Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government's policy of giving chief officers control over the budgets for police officers and civilian staff will enable those chief officers to deploy resources more efficiently in the circumstances of the regions for which they are responsible?

Mr. Wardle

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. At present, we have an out-dated system by which police chief officers have to express every bid for extra money in terms of additional uniformed posts. Now, as my hon. Friend rightly points out, chief officers will have the flexibility to decide how they spend their budget.

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