§ Sir Ivan LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to define the core duties of the police service.
§ Mr. HowardI have asked for a review of policing duties to be undertaken in consultation with the police service and police authority representatives. I share the concern of the police service that the extent of the burdens being placed on them needs examination. I have made it clear that I want to see a police service freed from non-essential tasks so that officers may have the time to concentrate on the tasks which really matter to the public. I shall want to listen very carefully to what the police have to say about the extent of the work they are asked to carry out, and how it might be organised differently.
I expect to receive a report on this exercise in the autumn. I shall consider the impact of any changes proposed on operational efficiency and the quality of service that the police offer the community. I shall also wish to consider how best to consult the public if any changes are proposed that would affect the police interface with the public.
Number of offenders, and percentage cautioned, for the offence of possession of cannabis, by police force area, United Kingdom,1 1989–92 Offenders 1989 Percentage cautioned Offenders 1990 Percentage cautioned Offenders 1991 Percentage cautioned Offenders 1992 Percentage cautioned Avon and Somerset 128 20 158 18 744 88 890 82 Bedfordshire 76 66 219 58 297 68 217 82 Cambridgeshire 94 73 251 44 193 48 200 72 Cheshire 166 45 298 12 525 46 727 64 Cleveland 47 64 139 59 230 67 236 67 Cumbria 75 23 279 10 404 28 380 37 Derbyshire 61 66 240 40 191 45 243 60 Devon and Cornwall 255 62 849 39 659 40 781 72 Dorset 29 41 139 15 159 30 292 60 Durham 29 38 48 27 53 25 146 48 Essex 335 82 717 70 889 66 850 75 Gloucestershire 112 71 280 66 415 71 470 82 Greater Manchester 476 35 1,035 26 1,104 32 1,066 52 Hampshire 349 86 596 77 558 86 268 81 Hertfordshire 77 43 337 26 603 49 518 64 Humberside 160 61 358 55 335 60 370 56 Kent 214 85 221 76 562 67 586 87 Lancashire 180 63 546 27 520 46 600 62 Leicestershire 68 54 239 34 342 51 284 67 Lincolnshire 64 64 183 32 309 44 237 38 Merseyside 795 78 1,745 53 1,971 48 1,593 54 City of London 35 86 206 75 151 75 158 86 Metropolitan Police 8,403 88 13,386 69 12,393 70 10,950 75 Norfolk 93 56 365 37 412 52 497 67 Northamptonshire 51 86 134 66 214 67 347 73 Northumbria 142 73 209 39 227 52 364 77 North Yorkshire 61 75 123 35 76 18 164 57 Nottinghamshire 124 65 204 56 302 56 364 59 South Yorkshire 251 69 529 64 756 67 817 69 Staffordshire 52 29 226 18 287 39 280 57 Suffolk 177 68 320 53 465 64 488 76 Surrey 184 80 474 41 644 63 451 79 Sussex 166 28 742 15 788 18 677 52 Thames Valley 242 62 1,147 39 1,043 55 1,359 68 Warwickshire 134 76 271 56 280 66 281 73 West Mercia 46 2 250 0 450 55 507 68 West Midlands 287 46 1,174 17 1,013 40 539 58