HC Deb 15 February 1977 vol 926 cc143-4W
Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received to date on the plans of police authorities for reducing the numbers of cadets to be recruited over the next three financial years in the light of recent circulars from his Department on economies; and if he will list in the Official Report the police forces that have given him notice of their intention to make such reductions together with the number of cadets now in post and the number expected to be in post on 1st September 1978 in each respective force area.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Police authorities are not required to notify me of their intentions about future recruitment of cadets. The information I have indicates that most, if not all, police authorities will reduce their intakes of cadets, or will not recruit any, during the financial year 1977–78. No decisions have yet been taken about recruitment of cadets during 1978–79 and subsequent years, and I cannot, therefore, estimate what the strength will be on 1st September 1978. Numbers in post on 31st December 1976 were as follows:

CADET STRENGTHS AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 1976
Force Total Strength
Avon and Somerset … 64
Bedfordshire … 7
Cambridgeshire … 32
Cheshire … 36
Cleveland … 30
Cumbria … 25
Derbyshire … 96
Devon and Cornwall … 32
Dorset … 17
Durham … 69
Essex … 53
Gloucestershire … 36
Greater Manchester … 289
Hampshire … 154
Hertfordshire … 106
Humberside … 81
Kent … 84
Lancashire … 165
Leicestershire … 70
Lincolnshire … 41
Merseyside … 61
Norfolk … 39
Northamptonshire … 36
Northumbria … 49
North Yorkshire … 37
Nottinghamshire … 114
South Yorkshire … 121
Staffordshire … 50
Suffolk … 57
Surrey … 29
Sussex … 55
Thames Valley … 102
Warwickshire … 43
West Mercia … 84
West Midlands … 204
West Yorkshire … 196
Wiltshire … 48
Dyfed Powys … 20
Gwent … 15
North Wales … 24
South Wales … 65
City of London … 28
Metropolitan … 741