Special Constables (Hansard, 1 July 2002)

Lord Campbell of Croy
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is their policy to encourage an increase in the number of special constables.

§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)
My Lords, special constables are a key element of our police reform agenda. We are working on a package of measures designed to help reverse the decline in numbers by improving the way in which they are recruited, managed and deployed. We are particularly keen to improve liaison with employers. After all, Specials bring a wealth of training and experience to their wider workplace. By the end of this year we shall publish guidance on good practice and we have set aside £300,000 to help "Specials champions" drive forward initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of Specials.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord for his reply. Are the Government concerned about reports of fewer candidates volunteering to become Specials? If that is correct, are the Government doing their best to reverse the situation?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
Yes, my Lords, we are concerned about that. As I made clear in my Answer, we would like to reverse the decline. I am happy to say that my right honourable friend Mr John Denham 2 announced, at the annual Ferrers award, that the Government are working on a package of measures. I am sorry to see that the noble Earl, Lord Ferrers, is not in his place. When at the Home Office, the noble Earl instituted a special award for special constables. At the presentation of that award on 18th June my right honourable friend announced the package of measures that I laid out in my Answer, which seek to reverse the decline, to encourage people to apply to be special constables and to encourage them to stay as special constables. We regard that as very important.

§ Baroness Harris of Richmond
My Lords, is the Minister saying that the campaign, which was launched on 2nd January by the Minister, John Denham, and which cost half a million pounds, has not proved to be successful? What response has there been to those proposals?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I am not saying that the campaign has not been successful. However, a sustained campaign is required to indicate the Government's commitment to special constables, and a sustained process is required by which the merits of being a special constable are brought to people's attention so that we can indicate to the public at large that we want people to take up such places. I cannot give the noble Baroness the precise results of the campaign, but I shall write to her.

§ Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate
My Lords, is my noble and learned friend aware—I would be very surprised if he is—that when I was a young constable I was violently assaulted on Tyneside and knocked to the ground? A bus driver came to my rescue who, I was delighted to discover, was a special constable. That illustrates the importance of the Special Constabulary. I remind the House that not so many years ago Special Constable Glen Goodman lost his life to the IRA in 3 the course of his duty. Does my noble and learned friend agree that we should all pay tribute to the work of special constables?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I entirely agree with the sentiments behind my noble friend's remarks. I was not aware of the assault on him but I was aware of the sacrifice of Special Constable Goodman in Northern Ireland. The role that special constables play is second to none. For that reason we are very keen to encourage recruitment and retention.

§ Baroness Sharples
My Lords, what is the age group of special constables?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot answer that question. I shall write to the noble Baroness.

§ Baroness Anelay of St Johns
My Lords, I, too, recognise the valuable part played by special constables. I am grateful to my noble friend for raising the issue. The Minister has referred to a package of measures that the Government hope will address the fact that since 1997 the number of special constables across London has dropped by 51 per cent and across England and Wales by 37 per cent. The police believe that one of the main reasons for that fall is that there has been so much micro-management from Whitehall. Will the Government now agree to undo some of the extra bureaucracy that they have loaded onto the police force in general?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, having looked at the figures, the noble Baroness will be aware that the total number of special constables has decreased from 19,000 in December 1992 to 12,000 in September 2001. A number of reasons are given for that decline. One is the profile of special constables and another is that significant numbers of special constables want to join the full-time constabulary. A variety of reasons have led to this situation. The critical point to make clear is that we support special constables, we want to see more of them and we are taking steps to achieve that.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, when special constables retire, for whatever reason, are exit interviews held? If not, perhaps such interviews would give the answer to the conundrum that the noble and learned Lord has enunciated.

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I am not aware of whether or not there are exit interviews and, if so, what they show. Steps have been taken to try to find out why the numbers have gone down. There appear to be a variety of reasons and, as I say, the answers are inconclusive. Again, I make it clear that we support the special constables and want to see more of them.

§ Lord McNally
My Lords, can the Minister say whether recruitment from ethnic minorities into the 4 Special Constabulary is part of this campaign? If so, does he see that as a stepping stone into recruiting more people from the ethnic minorities into the full-time police force?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, it is a vital part of the campaign. Having regard to the fact that significant numbers move from the Special Constabulary to the full-time constabulary, it can be an extremely useful stepping stone to increasing the number of black and minority ethnic groups who form part of our full-time constabulary.

§ Lord Phillips of Sudbury
My Lords, have the Government an open mind as to the prospect of paying special constables?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, we do not pay them at the moment, but we are looking at whether allowances should be improved.