§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reached a decision on the introduction of a bounty for special constables.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerI have decided to authorise pilot projects allowing the payment of a bounty for special constables. This will be subject to amending the Special Constabulary Regulations 1965. Payment of the bounty on an experimental basis will take place in the Metropolitan police district and perhaps two provincial forces to test different types of scheme. The experiment will run for two years initially and its effect on recruitment and retention will be assessed before decisions are taken on the longer-term future of the bounty.