§ 10. Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West)If he will make a statement on police manpower in England.[156029]
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Jack Straw)There were 125,537 officers in total in England and Wales on 31 January, an increase of 990 since September 2000 and of 1,367 since March 2000—the largest rise in a single year for more than a decade. On the basis of the money that we have put in, there should be 128,000 officers in total by March 2002 and, by March 2003, numbers should reach record levels, well above the 128,290 recorded in March 1993.
§ Mr. BradyI am grateful to the Home Secretary for that answer. However, his record in office so far is no ground for such optimism. How many additional regular constables, for example, would be required to make up for the loss since he came to office of 6,000 special constables?
§ Mr. StrawThe only people who are sad about the fact that police numbers are increasing are Conservative Members.