§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the west midlands as to the cost of policing the county in each of the last six years, in constant terms.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe net revenue expenditure of the West Midlands police authority for the period requested, calculated in constant terms using 1979–1980 as the base, is as follows:
579W
£ Million 1979–80 72.964 1980–81 74.261 1981–82 79.681 1982–83 82.096 1983–84 84.768 1984–85 86.281
Mr. John Mark Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the west midlands incorporating comparative figures as between 1979 and at the latest available date for the borough of Solihull showing (a) the number of police officers per head of population, (b) the number of hours per man worked by the police, (c) the amount of off-duty time and holiday entitlements, (d) the average rates of pay and (e) the priority of tasks upon which police time was spent.
1979 Under 10 years' service 10 or more years' service 17 or more years' service Constable 18 days 21 days 23 days Sergeant 20 days 23 days 23 days Inspector 23 days 26 days 26 days Chief Inspector 26 days 26 days 29 days Superintendent 30 days 30 days 30 days Chief Superintendent and above Not less than Not less than Not less than 42 days 48 days 48 days
1986 Under 10 years' service 10 or more years' service 15 or more years' service 20 or more years' service Constable 20 days 23 days 25 days 26 days Sergeant 20 days 23 days 26 days 26 days Inspector 23 days 27 days 28 days 28 days Chief Inspector 26 days 30 days 30 days 30 days Superintendent 31 days 31 days 31 days 31 days Chief Superintendent and above Not less than Not less than Not less than Not less than 42 days 48 days 48 days 48 days It would be difficult to calculate the average rates of pay of police officers. The minimum and maximum rates are set out below:
Rates of pay: provinces 1979 1986 minimum maximum minimum maximum £ £ £ £ Constable 4,086 6,471 7,212 12,033 Sergeant 6,186 7,095 11,508 13,203 Inspector 7,095 8,058 13,203 14,991 Chief Inspector 8,058 8,969 14,991 16,677 Superintendent 11,124 11,973 20,394 22,143 Chief Superintendent 12,258 13,110 22,671 24,072 I understand from the chief constable that priorities in the use of divisional manpower were not precisely formulated in 1979. Current priorities in the Solihull division are to reduce crime, particularly house burglaries, and improve public tranquility without abrogating responsibility for enforcement of the law. Deployment is a matter of the chief constable.