§ 15. Mr. Alan W. Williams (East Carmarthen and Dinefwr)What percentage of police officers currently retire aged (a) under 55, (b) 55 to 60 and (c) 60 to 65 years. [53523]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Alun Michael)The most recent study examined police officers who left forces in the United Kingdom in 1991, through ordinary retirement, medical retirement or resignation. According to that study, 86.1 per cent. of officers who retired in 1991 were under 55; 13.5 per cent. were between 55 and 60; and 0.4 per cent. were between 61 and 65. Those figures include both ordinary and medical retirements.
§ Mr. WilliamsWe all sympathise with anyone who has to retire early for health reasons, but does my hon. Friend agree that there is far too much early retirement in British society, among teachers, local government officers and, certainly, the police? We are losing people with experience and valuable skills. In the current consultation exercise, will my hon. Friend specifically state that he would like the proportion of early retirements to be reduced?
§ Mr. MichaelMy hon. Friend has made some good points. In the case of early and ill-health retirement, the burden falls on the finances available for policing generally, because this is not a funded scheme.
Policing can be dangerous. It involves shift working in all weathers, often featuring high levels of stress and physical activity. There are reasons for the large number of early retirements; but the variations in the proportion of, in particular, ill-health retirements across the country show no correlation with the size and nature of the force. There are serious questions about the quality of management in some police forces, and we shall be considering them continually over the coming years.
§ Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)Does the Minister agree that no police officer, of whatever age, who is under criminal investigation should be allowed to retire from the force on grounds of ill health and still claim a full pension?
§ Mr. MichaelThe hon. Gentleman is right. In the past, it has sometimes been too easy to make such a back door available. We must be careful to look at the precise circumstances of any individual application, but, in general, the management of such issues, and the way in which complaints and disciplinary matters are dealt with, needs to be much speedier and more concentrated.