Special Constabulary Strength (Hansard, 20 February 1989)

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)
My Lords, the strength of the Special Constabulary in England and Wales in 1978 was 16,952. In 1981 it dropped to 14,978. In 1987 it had risen to 16,209. In Scotland the figures were: in 1978, 3,134 and in 1988, 1,747. I have sent my noble friend separately the figures for each of the 10 years in question and I shall arrange for them to be printed in the Official Report.
Recruitment is a matter for individual chief constables. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary convened a conference in December 1987 in order to enable chief officers to discuss matters of increasing the strength and of improving the deployment of special constables.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. But people in all parts of Parliament, particularly in this House, are anxious to see a reduction in crime and a strengthened relationship between the civil population and police forces all over our country. Are not the specials a rather useful force which can help to bridge that gap? Is it not sad that, whereas uniformed police strength has gone up by 15,000 in the last 10 years, the strength of our specials has substantially gone down? The figures given hide the fact that the number of women in the specials has more than doubled while the number of men has dropped by almost 5,000 in that period. Will my noble friend say what is the outcome of the special conference convened by the Home Secretary? Has it been advantageous? Has recruitment improved?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, after the conference the chief constables reported to their forces the matters under consideration and since then most forces have extended the use of chief constables over the past year. I cannot give my noble friend any specific details about the figures because they are not yet available.

§ Lord Mishcon
My Lords, will the noble Earl accept that all parties in this House and noble Lords of no party at all are anxious to see serious crime figures reduced? Having said that, does he agree that the increase in the numbers of special constables is to he encouraged provided that it is properly gained by the use of properly trained people? Is he aware that, presumably for purposes of economy, Sealink Ltd. has done away with the British Transport Police at Harwich, has taken on 25 members of a private security firm—untrained in police duties so far as one knows—and has sworn them in under Section 79 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act of 1847 as special constables, giving them therefore the right as special constables to operate in that capacity within the port area and a mile outside? Is he further aware that the Police Federation has written to his right honourable friend with regard to that matter? What is the Home Office doing about it?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for saying that he is in favour of anything being done to reduce the crime figures; we are in total agreement on that. The arrangements that Sealink has made at Parkeston Quay are similar to those at many ports which appoint their employees as special constables under the 1847 Act. The security guards who have been appointed as special constables there have jurisdiction only within the dock and its immediate confines. They cannot act as special constables elsewhere. The policing of docks and ports is a matter for the owners, subject to statute, and I understand that Section 79 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act of 1847 enables dockmasters to nominate their employees for appointment as special constables. Some docks employ private security firms for that purpose. I am also aware that the Police Federation has written to my right honourable friend the Home Secretary. It wrote on 15th February, which was only the other day, and my right honourable friend is considering his reply.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that, although as he rightly says the numbers of regular police have increased in recent years, it is truly astonishing that there are now fewer special constables than there were when the Government came into office? That being so, what precisely do the Government intend to do about it? Discussions with the chief constables are no doubt most admirable. Will the chief constables put their weight behind some form of national publicity campaign? What specific measures are the Government contemplating to deal with this disturbing shortfall in the recruitment of special constables?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, the recruitment of special constables is a matter for chief officers. It has been 389 found that very often local advertising and so forth is much better than national advertising. We convened this conference. A number of proposals were made. However, it is up to chief constables to put them into operation. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Greenwich, that the number of special constables could be, and should be, increased where possible, but that is a matter for local chief officers.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, whatever the position of chief constables, are the Government not concerned at the reduction, both in absolute terms and in proportion to the regular police, in the number of special constables? Are the Government not concerned to reverse that trend? If my noble friend has any difficulty in deciding how to do this, will he consult the one ministerial colleague of his at the Home Office who has practical experience as a special constable?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, of course we are concerned if the number of special constables deteriorates. If my noble friend will be good enough to study the Official Report when it is published he will see that over the last few years the numbers have improved.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, no.

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Harris, says no, they have not. According to my figures in 1985 the number was 16,161; in 1986, 16,070; and in 1987, 16,209.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords—

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, we cannot carry on a conversation. The noble Lord keeps speaking from a sedentary position. Over the last few years the numbers have increased. Of course they may be lower than they were some time ago. I have tried to explain to your Lordships that we convened this conference and we are encouragng chief constables to recruit more special constables.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, will the noble Earl confirm that the numbers of special constables have been reduced significantly since the Government came into office? Will he now answer specifically the question put to him by his noble friend Lord Boyd-Carpenter? What are the Government intending to do? The noble Earl has said that it is a matter for chief constables. Is it not a matter for the Government also? Does he not consider that he and his department should take some action to deal with what is an extremely disturbing situation?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, the original Answer that I gave to my noble friend indicated—as the noble Lord, Lord Harris, will realise when he reads it again—that in 1978 the figure was 16,952 and it is now 16,209. I agree that that is a deterioration, if my mathematics is right, of 700 special constables in the course of 10 years.
390 I have explained that we held a conference. We are doing our best to encourage chief constables to recruit special constables. However, in the end it must be a matter for local decision. One cannot find special constables. They have to be attracted, and they have to be attracted locally.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, will the noble Earl undertake to look into the serious position at Harwich outlined by my noble friend Lord Mishcon involving a large ferry company? Does he recall that in a debate we had recently on crime on the London Underground his noble friend sitting next to him, Lord Brabazon, made it quite clear that while recruitment was taking place the Metropolitan and City Police were going to loan police officers to British Transport Police so that they could be trained? Is not the important point raised by my noble friend the training of these people at Harwich?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, if I may say so, I think that the noble Lord, Lord Underhill, confuses two matters. One is the training of special constables; the other is the fact that Parkeston Quay is private property. Since Sealink became a private company it is entitled to use a private company should it so wish. It has decided to operate its own policing arrangements. This is similar practice to that in other ports; there is nothing different about it. As to whether or not it is desirable, that is a totally different point. I have no reason to believe that it is not desirable, but I am certainly prepared to look into the matter.

§ Lord Knights
My Lords, will the Minister agree that the problem is not so much one of recruitment but of retaining the motivation of volunteers once they have joined? If he does so agree, can he say what factors might be operating to cause so much early wastage?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, obviously one has to motivate people once they are special constables. It is up to chief constables to decide when to employ special constables. Since the conference was held, I understand that a great deal of effort has been made to use special constables. However, it is inevitable—as the noble Lord, Lord Knights, will know from his own responsibilities as a chief constable—that different chief constables in different areas take different views on how best to employ special constables.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, although the figure that my noble friend quotes of a difference of only 700 in the total number removes the alarming nature of this fall, is he aware that the fall has occurred during a period when the numbers should have increased? Due to the changed circumstances of society and the consequent need for special constables, is not the position much worse than it ever was? For even a small deterioration to have occurred during such a period compounds the problem. When did we last have a recruiting drive? When did the Rotary Club talk about it?

Noble Lords
Order!

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I am not sure how many of those questions I can answer. I can tell the noble Lord this. It is a factor that he may have inadvertently omitted from his calculations. Special constables are volunteers. One cannot force feed volunteers into joining. My noble friend is concerned to see an increase in police strength. The strength of the police force as a whole has gone up by some 15,000 people. Expenditure on policing has risen from £1.1 billion to £3.7 billion. Special constables are one small facet of this expenditure. They are volunteers. I shall certainly take note of the suggestions made by my noble friend. If he would care to tell me how one can force a person to become a volunteer—other than a person who is already in the army—I should be delighted to know.

§ Lord Nugent of Guildford
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that 13 minutes have now passed on this Question and it is about time that we moved on?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. I could have sworn that it was 30 minutes!

Noble Lords
Next Question.

Lord Hunt
My Lords, will the noble Earl agree that an enterprise known as the Guardian Angels, which purports to provide special protection for travellers on the London Underground and which has been imported from New York, is fraught with difficulties and possible danger and should be discouraged? That kind of work is much better done by special constables.

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, we are opposed to private citizens adopting a policing role except as special constables. We are in favour of active citizens playing a full role by acting as the eyes and ears of the police, but not as their arms and legs. If the Guardian Angels act unlawfully or engage in conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, their presence will not be welcomed. In that event they could not expect to be exempted from the ordinary processes of the law.

Strength of Special Constabulary as at 31st December
	England and Wales	Scotland
1978	16,952	3,134
1979	15,960	3,128
1980	15,108	3,005
1981	14,978	2,814
1982	15,160	2,736
1983	15,331	2,634
1984	16,012	2,453
1985	16,161	2,046
1986	16,070	1,964
1987	16,209	1,777
1988	not yet available	1,747