§ 2.41 p.m.
§ Lord MellishMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give up-to-date figures of new recruits to the Metropolitan Police; and what is the present establishment figure.
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, a bulk intake of recruits on 30th June brought the strength of the Metropolitan Police to 26,920. My right honourable friend has recently increased the establishment to 27,515.
§ Lord MellishMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for quoting those excellent figures. There has been some success. May I ask him a few questions arising from the figures?
§ Lord MellishMay I ask the noble Lord one question, my Lords? In the happy event that the establishment figures are reached, does the commissioner have the right to say to the Home Secretary that he can prove that the Metropolitan Police needs even more men, and what sort of reception is he likely to get? Secondly, can he say how the attempts are going to recruit among ethnic minorities? I know that the police are trying hard. What success are they having?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, as my right honourable friend has announced, following a review to establish where there were specific needs for additional manpower, the Metropolitan Police is to receive an increase in its establishment of up to 1,200 over the next four years on top of the increase of 50 for drugs work agreed in principle last October. In addition, increases of up to 600 in the civil staff ceiling should release at least 400 officers for operational duty. Two hundred more will be released by the commissioner's reorganisation of the force. Altogether, therefore, there will be increases of up to 1,850 in the operational strength of the force.
So far as the ethnic minorities are concerned, out of 1,256 recruits last year, 44 were from the ethnic minorities. There are now 302 in the force as a whole compared with 138 in 1981. My right honourable friend has made clear that this is still too few, and he strongly supports the efforts that the commissioner is making to increase the number of black and Asian recruits.
§ Lord RentonMy Lords, is it accepted by Ministers that special constables have an important part to play in helping the police on certain special occasions? Can my noble friend say to what extent the number of special constables will be increased within the metropolitan district?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, the Government are extremely keen to support special constables, but I am afraid that I do not have the answer to my noble friend's specific question.
§ Lord Boyd-CarpenterMy Lords, can my noble friend say whether the new establishment figure is satisfactory to the commissioner, or whether he is still asking for more?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, as my noble friend will know, the exact number of police officers required depends upon the level and degree of policing aimed at. The commissioner's assessment was based on one particular view of what the level of policing should be. The Government took full account of that view but also had to take account of the needs of other police forces and other public services. I am unable to tell my noble friend whether the commissioner is satisfied or not.
§ Baroness Elliot of HarwoodMy Lords, will my noble friend say how many of the new recruits to the police are women?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, I am afraid that I do not have the figures. I shall write to my noble friend.
§ Lord Carmichael of KelvingroveMy Lords, is the Minister aware that the American experience of recruiting ethnic minorities seems to be rather better than ours? Are there any lessons to be learnt—I am sure that the commissioner has looked at the problem—from the American experience that could be of value here?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, I shall convey the noble Lord's remarks to the commissioner.
§ Lord Mackie of BenshieMy Lords, will the noble Viscount say why the release of 600 staff from, I suppose, office duties, results only in 400 police for other duties?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, no. I cannot, I am afraid.
§ Lord WigoderMy Lords, will the noble Viscount remind us how many extra officers the commissioner asked for?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, so far as I remember, the commissioner asked for another 3,000. He will be getting 1,850.
§ Lord MellishMy Lords, is the Minister aware that the need for extra police is so overriding today that it is really quite extraordinary? I recognise that there is little he can do in respect of deployment. Is he aware, however, that in the Brixton district there have been eight murders in as many weeks and that mugging and raping are going on, while there has also been a move into the area of Caribbean gangs who are using guns in order to peddle drugs? Does he not agree that it really is about time that areas like Brixton were swamped, if that is the right word, with police officers who will deal with these thugs?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, all I can say, I think, is that I will convey the noble Lord's remarks to the commissioner.