§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many police officers, and what proportion of each category of rank of police officers, the Metropolitan Police Service expects to lose after 30 years of service, in each rank of the years 2001–11; and [HL413];
How many police officers, and what proportion of each category of rank of police officer, each of the police authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland expect to lose after 30 years service, in each of the years 2001–11. [HL414]
§ Lord RookerI can answer only for the police service in England and Wales. Information about the total number of police officers who will leave after 30 years service in each of the next 10 years is not collected. Projections of retirements each year in total, though not by rank, are available for the Metropolitan Police and have been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. The available information is set out in the table.
Metropolitan Police Year Projected Number of officer retirements with 30 years service 2001–02 383 2002–03 391 2003–04 410 2004–05 393 2005–06 540 2006–07 661 2007–08 524 2008–09 516 2009–10 619 2010–11 687
§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consideration they have given to methods to encourage appropriate police officers to delay their retirement after 30 years service. [HL4161]
§ Lord RookerWe are considering a range of options that might be used to encourage suitable police officers to delay their retirement as part of the police reform process.
§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will detail the current provision that enables police officers to carry on for a further five years after their initial 30 years service, subject to the agreement of the chief constable and the conditions prevailing in the force; and what proposals they have for changing this situation. [HL417]
§ Lord RookerA police officer is entitled to retire with maximum pension benefits after completion of 30 years' service. However officers are, unless their retirement is required in the interests of the efficiency of the force, entitled to continue to serve until160WA compulsory retirement age. Compulsory retirement age for the majority of officers—those who are constables and sergeants—is age 55.
Whether or not an officer has completed 30 years' service on reaching compulsory retirement age, there is provision made in the regulations for retirement to be postponed for a period of up to five years. In the case of the ranks up to superintendent, the decision to postpone is one for the chief constable. For more senior officers it is a matter for the police authority. This is set out in Regulation A18(2) of the Police Pensions Regulations 1987.
Whether an extension of service will be granted if requested is a matter for local discretion depending on the fitness for continued duty of the individual officer and the needs of the force.
We will be considering whether any changes are required to the power to postpone, or whether guidance for forces on the use of the power to extend service is required, as part of the police reform process.