HC Deb 28 January 2000 vol 343 cc362-3W
Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the increase was in the number of police officers in Wales from 1998 to 1999. [106854]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The number of police officers in the police service in Wales increased between March 1998 and March 1999 by 29 to 6,646.

Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase(a) funding for the Police Service and (b) the number of police officers in Wales in the next 12 months. [106870]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Under the spending plans of the Government and the National Assembly for Wales, funding of the police service in Wales is set to increase by 2.6 per cent., or £9.3 million in 2000–01. It is for the individual chief constables and their police authorities to determine staffing levels within the resources available.

Police forces in Wales are eligible to bid for a share of the crime fighting fund to recruit 5,000 police officers over and above the number they would otherwise have recruited over the next three years. All four forces have submitted applications. They will be informed of our decision in the next few weeks.