§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures for each police authority in England and Wales setting out(a) the percentage changes in their budget and (b) the numbers of police officers in the force between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 1999. [89577]
§ Mr. StrawThe information requested is set out in the table. The information on changes in police numbers is based on provisional strength figures at March 1999 provided by forces.
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Police numbers—comparison between percentage change in numbers and changes in budgets for 1998–99 Percentage Percentage change in police numbers Percentage change in budget Force March 1998 to March 1999 March 1998 to March 1999 1997–98 to 1998–99 5–5.9 per cent. reduction in strength City of London -5.7 (-46.8) -7.3 Cleveland -5.2 (-76.8) +5.1 4–4.9 per cent. reduction in strength Lincolnshire -4.3 (-51.5) +1.1 Nottinghamshire -4.2 (-98) +3.8 3–3.9 per cent. reduction in strength Bedfordshire -3.4 (-37.2) +3.8 Cumbria -3.2 (-37.5) +3.7 Norfolk -3.4 (-48.2) +3.8 Sussex -3.7 (-107.9) +3.8 West Yorkshire -3.4 (-172.7) +3.8 2–2.9 per cent. reduction in strength Devon and Cornwall -2.5 (-74.5) +4.5 Dorset -2.7 (-35.9) +3.7 Greater Manchester -2.0 (-138.8) +3.8 Humberside -2.3 (-46.8) +3.8 Northamptonshire -2.7 (-31.2) +3.7 North Yorkshire -2.2 (-30.7) +4.0 Staffordshire -2.4 (54.5) +3.7 0–1.9 per cent. reduction in strength Cambridgeshire -1.3 (-17) +3.8 Derbyshire -0.8 (-13.6) +3.8 Essex -1.3 (-38) +3.7 Hampshire -0.5 (-16.1) +3.8 Hertfordshire -0.9 (-16.2) +3.8 Kent -1.5 (-50) +4.4 Lancashire -0.4 (-12.3) +3.8 Metropolitan Police -0.08 (-20.7) +3.7 South Yorkshire -0.4 (-14) +3.8 Thames Valley -0.7 (-27.4) +3.8 Warwickshire -1.7 (-15.4) +3.7 West Mercia -0.5 (-10.5) +3.8 Wiltshire -0.5 (-5.3) +3.7
Police numbers—comparison between percentage change in numbers and changes in budgets for 1998–99 Percentage Percentage change in police numbers Percentage change in budget Force March 1998 to March 1999 March 1998 to March 1999 1997–98 to 1998–99 Forces with increases in police numbers Gloucestershire +0.02 (0.2) +3.8 Avon and Somerset +0.8 (23.4) +3.8 Cheshire +1.4 (-28.7) +3.8 Durham +3.5 (53.1) +4.9 Dyfed-Powys +2.4 (24) +3.8 Gwent +1.2 (14.3) +3.8 Leicestershire +0.5 (10.1) +3.8 Merseyside +2.3 (95.1) +3.8 Northumbria +1.9 (71.5) +4.7 North Wales +0.4 (5) +3.8 South Wales +0.13 (3.8) +3.8 Suffolk +0.4 (4.4) +3.8 Surrey +3.3 (53.5) -1.0 West Midlands +2.3 (165.3) +3.8 Overall total -0.6 (-793.3) +3.7
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 May 1999,Official Report, column 296, concerning police manpower, when he intends to publish figures for the number of police officers, per force and in total, on 31 March; and if he will make a statement. [88192]
§ Mr. StrawThe information requested is set out in the table. The figures are provisional and subject to validation.
Under legislation passed by the previous Government in 1994, it is for individual chief constables to determine the number of police officers in their force area, within the resources available to them. The Home Secretary no longer has any power to set entitlements of forces.
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Police numbers as at 31 March 1999 Force Police numbers1 Avon and Somerset 2,999.3 Bedfordshire 1,041.3 Cambridgeshire 1,274.4 Cheshire 2,070.6 City of London 778.1 Cleveland 1,406.6 Cumbria 1,126 Derbyshire 1,758.6 Devon and Cornwall 2,887 Dorset 1,274.1 Durham 1,567.9 Dyfed-Powys 1,026.3 Essex 2,890.5 Gloucestershire 1,104 Greater Manchester 6,809.9 Gwent 1,247.1 Hampshire 3,473.4 Hertfordshire 1,723.7 Humberside 1,974.4 Kent 3,200.8 Lancashire 3,244.8 Leicestershire 1,993.2 Lincolnshire 1,139.6 Merseyside 4,311.5
Police numbers as at 31 March 1999 Force Police numbers 1 Metropolitan Police 26,073.1 Norfolk 1,381.4 Northamptonshire 1,137.5 Northumbria 3,840.2 North Wales 1,401 North Yorkshire 1,336.5 Nottinghamshire 2,224.6 South Wales 2,990 South Yorkshire 3,168 Staffordshire 2,237.6 Suffolk 1,190.2 Surrey 1,661.9 Sussex 2,846.8 Thames Valley 3,748.1 Warwickshire 908.7 West Mercia 1,999.1 West Midlands 7,320.8 West Yorkshire 4,982 Wiltshire 1,151 Force total strength 123,921.5 1Figures are for full-time equivalents, are provisional and subject to validation