§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made to date regarding lay visitors to police stations; what guidelines have been issued; who can be lay visitors; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanI explained in a reply on 6 July—[Vol. 45, c. 89–91]—to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) that pilot schemes for lay visiting were to be, or already had been, established in six provincial police force areas and in L district of the Metropolitan police force. Schemes have now begun in Greater Manchester, Humberside, West Midlands and South Yorkshire. The other schemes will 35W begin shortly; and I should shortly be in a position to announce in which other parts of the Metropolitan police district pilot arrangements will be made.
Copies of the guidelines for the schemes, issued by the Home Office after consultation with the local authority associations and police representative bodies, were placed in the Library on 6 July.
The guidelines place the responsibility for the appointment of lay visitors on the police authority concerned and make it clear that it is open to the authority to include persons from outside its own membership who have broadly based interests in the local community.
We intend, with the assistance and co-operation of those concerned, to review experience of the pilot schemes to date early in the new year. I shall continue to keep the House informed of progress in this area.
Number of police authorities Number of schemes Approximate total value £ million (1) In planning with approved starts due in 1983–84 to 1985–86. 28 34 50–60 (2) In planning without start dates since— (i) before 1982 13 16 40–50 (ii) added in 1982 21 28 30–40 (3) Schemes put forward but not accepted for planning in 1982 32 109 175 Schemes in category (2) will be fitted into the rolling programme in the forward years from 1986–87 onwards, as and when margins become available on the central capital allocation. It is not possible at present to accept commitment to specific dates.
Particulars of the schemes in categories (1) and (2) are as follows:
Police authority Scheme Category 1 Cheshire Warrington Divisional Headquarters Cheshire Force Headquarters Cleveland Force Headquarters Cumbria Whitehaven Sub Divisional Headquarters Derbyshire Ilkeston Sub Divisional Headquarters Devon and Cornwall Plymouth Sub Divisional Headquarters Dorset Force Headquarters Durham Durham Divisional Headquarters Dyfed Powys Force Headquarters Essex Laindon Sub Divisional Headquarters Gloucestershire Bamfurlong Motor Patrol Centre Greater Manchester Force Headquarters Phase II Greater Manchester Astley Bridge Sub Divisional Headquarters Gwent Maindee Sub Divisional Headquarters Newport Hampshire Force Training and Support Centre Hertfordshire Force Headquarters extension Kent Maidstone Divisional Headquarters Lancashire Ormskirk Sub Divisional Headquarters Leicestershire Force Headquarters—Phase I Leicestershire Beaumont Leys Sub Divisional Headquarters Merseyside Liverpool Bridewell Northamptonshire Weston Favell Sub Divisional Headquarters Nottinghamshire Nottingham Bridewell South Wales Cardiff Bridewell South Wales Caerphilly Sub Divisional Headquarters South Yorkshire Sheffield Divisional Headquarters Staffordshire Force Driving School Surrey Godstone Traffic Centre Thames Valley Oxford Divisional Headquarters West Midlands Birmingham Divisional Headquarters West Yorkshire South Kirkby Section Station West Yorkshire Halifax Divisional Headquarters West Yorkshire Bradford—computer accommodation Wiltshire Wootton Bassett Section Station