HC Deb 20 November 2000 vol 357 cc81-2W
21. Mr. Ian Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to increase police numbers; and if he will make a statement. [137469]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Crime Fighting Fund will enable police forces to recruit 9,000 officers over and above the number previously planned in the three years 2000–01 to 2002–03.

To help forces meet their recruitment targets the first-ever National Recruitment Campaign was launched on 30 August.

The Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police have been experiencing particular problems in attracting new recruits. To address their problems in this area, I have agreed to an increase of £3,327 per annum in the London Allowance paid to those officers in each force who were recruited on or after 1 September 1994 and who are not in receipt of housing allowance.

The Government want to see police numbers rising. The spending plans I announced on 19 July 2000, Official Report, columns 376–91, are intended to achieve that. These plans make generous provision intended to meet the major pay, pensions and other pressures on forces as well as providing ring-fenced funding to increase recruitment through The Crime Fighting Fund. We anticipate that these measures will enable forces to increase police officer numbers to record levels by March 2003.

30. Mr. Chidgey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date he expects the police forces in England and Wales to have replaced the number of police officers they have lost since March 1997; and if he will make a statement. [137479]

Mr. Charles Clarke

We anticipate that with the crime fighting fund, the additional allocation of resources for the police service in the Budget last March and the additional funds to be provided as a result of the Spending Review 2000, police numbers should surpass their March 1997 level by the end of March 2002.