Special Constabulary (Hansard, 10 March 1993)

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, more than 27,000 applications to join the special constabulary have been received during the first two years of the national recruiting campaign, which was launched in January 1991. This level of response is very encouraging. Provisional figures indicate that the total number of special constables has increased by 3,300 during the same period.

§ Baroness Macleod of Borve
My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for his reassuring reply. Does he agree that there are many people in this country who have retired at the age of about 50 who would be only too willing to help the police in their search for the maintenance of law and order, and that those people could play a big part if they volunteered to be special constables?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I agree with my noble friend that many people are anxious to help the police by joining the special constabulary. That is why we have had a recruiting campaign. It is going very well; and the numbers in the constabulary now are considerably higher than they were, for instance, in 1980 when there were only 15,000. There are now 19,243. The Government's aim is to get the numbers of special constables increased and to a level of 20 per cent. of the regular serving officers.

§ Lord Renton
My Lords, special constables can be of great help on special public occasions such as agricultural shows, race meetings and even football matches. Is any limit set upon the number of special constables who will be recruited by the police forces? Is it not clear that we can do with even more than we are getting?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, my noble friend is right. As I said, our aim is to recruit up to 20 per cent. of the total amount of regular officers. At the moment, the level is up to about 15 per cent. I agree that many special constables do a great job of work and are enormously well regarded by the police service. Just at the moment they have an additional incentive. A trophy is to be awarded to them which for some curious reason comes under the name of the Ferrers Trophy. Oddly enough, the first consideration of it is to be given this afternoon. It will be an annual trophy and will be awarded to the special constable who makes an especially effective or original contribution. On that point, I can only say that such qualifications in no way reflect the provenance of the trophy.

§ Lord Donoughue
My Lords, I am sure that the existence of this great trophy will be a marvellous incentive to all Members of this House to join as special constables. Can the Minister tell us, in view of the sensitivity of what special constables often do, the arrangements for training them? Are they ever trained to deal with what might be called life-threatening situations? Are they trained to ride horses when on duty at football matches?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, the training received by special constables is usually given in the police forces. They are put on all operational work other than special work. In other words, they do not go out with armed response vehicles, and they do not go out on horseback. But they carry out ordinary, normal policing.

§ Lord Ewing of Kirkford
My Lords, will the noble Earl give an assurance that, much valued as the work of special constables is, the Government will not use the numbers of special constables in order to keep down the establishment levels of the regular police force? Is he aware that it is those establishment levels, against the background of serious crime affecting the country, that rapidly require to be increased?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord that there is no question of special constables being used to keep down the numbers of full-time policemen. They are not an alternative to the regular force. They are an additional resource which, if 1059 properly used, can allow the greater experience and training of regular officers to be put to the best possible use.

§ Lord Geddes
My Lords, in his first Answer to the Question I believe my noble friend gave statistics which implied that the take-up rate was slightly under one in nine. Did I understand that point correctly? Can he advise the House whether there is any significance in that rate, particularly in view of the question from my noble friend Lord Renton?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, when people apply to join the "specials" one gets applications from a wide variety of sources. Not all applicants are suitable. Some have to be sifted out; some are already in the pipeline. The annual intake is bigger because some "specials" will have resigned. The figure of 3,300 which I gave is the increase in the numbers, not necessarily the numbers of new special constables.

§ Lord Swinfen
My Lords, will my noble friend tell the House what is the upper age limit for becoming a special constable?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I need notice of that question. I cannot tell my noble friend. I shall find out and let him know.