§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the retirement of police officers from the Metropolitan police; what is the average length of service of a police officer of the rank of sergeant or below, and how many are serving with a length of service of (a) two years, (b) between two and three years (c) between three and four years (d) between four and five years (e) between five and 10 years (f) between 10 and 15 years (g) between 15 and 20 years (h) over 20 years.
§ Mr. Giles Shaw[pursuant to his reply, 19 February, c. 178]: Under the Police Pensions Regulations 1973, an officer is entitled to receive an ordinary pension on retiring after 25 years' service and a full pension on retiring after 30 years' service. The maximum age of retirement for officers to the Metropolitan police up to and including the rank of chief superintendent is 55. The average length of service in the force of Metropolitan police officers currently serving in the rank of sergeant or constable is 10 years nine months. The table shows the percentage of sergeants and constables in the Metropolitan police who have the lengths of service in that force which are specified in the question.
Length of service of constables and sergeants in the Metropolitan police* Length of service Percentage of constables Percentage of sergeants Under two years 12.7 0.2 Two years and under three 6.0 0.4 Three years and under four 9.5 0.6 Four years and under five 9.9 1.5 Five years and under 10 26.3 28.0 10 years and under 15 11.9 23.4 15 years and under 21 8.9 22.5 20 years and over 14.8 23.4 * This table does not take account of service in other police forties.