HC Deb 22 March 2001 vol 365 cc323-8W
Mr. Pond

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and civilian staff

Police strength
FTE
Strength Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 30 September 2000 31 January 2001 Change March 1997 to January 2001 Change September 2000 to January 2001
North East 6,597 6,749 6,820 6,890 294 70
Cleveland 1,459 1,404 1,421 1,426 -33 5
Durham 1,461 1,558 1,581 1,596 136 15
Northumbria1 3,677 3,788 3,818 3,868 191 50
North West 17,588 17,153 17,110 17,259 -330 149
Cheshire 2,046 2,011 2,000 2,021 -24 21
Cumbria 1,144 1,084 1,048 1,049 -94 2
Greater Manchester 6,922 6,795 6,767 6,867 -54 100
Lancashire 3,247 3,179 3,215 3,245 -3 30
Merseyside 4,230 4,085 4,081 4,076 -154 -5
Yorkshire and the Humber 11,750 11,200 11,189 11,196 -554 7
Humberside 2,045 1,932 1,905 1,902 -143 -3
North Yorkshire 1,338 1,283 1,293 1,299 -38 6
South Yorkshire 3,159 3,163 3,184 3,190 32 6
West Yorkshire 5,209 4,822 4.806 4,804 -405 -2
East Midlands 8,436 8,206 8,350 8,447 11 97
Derbyshire 1,791 1,777 1,780 1,816 26 36
Leicestershire 1,949 1,993 2,010 2,021 73 11
Lincolnshire 1,196 1,115 1,162 1,190 -6 28
Northamptonshire 1,177 1,117 1,166 1,161 -16 -5
Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,204 2,232 2,258 -65 26

there are (a) in total and (b) for each police force in England and Wales for the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [154903]

Mr. Straw

The tables show, for March 1997, March 2000, September 2000 and January 2001, total numbers of police officers and civilians for each police authority in England and Wales, together with changes in numbers since March 1997 and September 2000.

The total number of police officers for September 2000 has been amended from 124,614 to 124,547 as a result of a revision made by the Northumbria police in respect of the figures which they provided for the September returns.

On 31 January 2001 total police numbers, including secondments, in England and Wales were 125,537, an increase of 990 over the revised position at 30 September 2000.

Between 30 September 2000 and 31 January 2001, the number of civilian support staff increased by 565 to 54,598, including secondments. This is the highest number ever recorded. In total, there were 180,135 police officers and civilian staff on 31 January 2001, as compared with 180.169 in March 1997.

The substantial investment provided to the police service through the Crime Fighting Fund, announced in September 1999, and which started operation in April 2000, is now delivering the positive results promised. Police numbers rose by 377 between 1 April and 30 September 2000 and by a further 990 between 1 October 2000 and 31 January 2001, a total increase in 10 months of 1,367. This rise in 10 months is the largest single increase in police numbers during one whole financial year since 1988–89.

On the basis of forces' projections, we expect that police numbers should reach 126,000 by March 2001, 128,000 by March 2002 and record numbers by March 2003.

Police strength
FTE
Strengh Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 30 September 2000 31 January 2001 Change March 1997 to January 2001 Change September 2000 to January 2001
West Midlands 12,290 12,151 12,324 12,416 126 92
Staffordshire 2,211 2,170 2,157 2,138 -73 -19
Warwickshire 926 900 912 942 16 30
West Mercia 2,040 1,887 1,906 1,899 -141 -7
West Midlands 7,113 7,194 7,350 7,438 325 88
Eastern 9,727 9,364 9,515 9,683 -43 168
Bedfordshire 1,094 1,028 1,006 1,031 -63 24
Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,237 1,266 1,309 7 43
Essex2 2,961 2,806 2,780 2,859 -102 79
Hertfordshire2 1,759 1,767 1,961 1,954 195 -7
Norfolk 1,432 1,381 1,387 1,397 -34 11
Suffolk 1.180 1,145 1,115 1,133 -46 18
London 27,536 26,216 25,415 25,571 -1,965 156
City of London 859 732 720 711 -148 -10
Metropolitan Police2 26,677 25,485 24,695 24,861 -1,817 166
South East 15,111 14,971 15,347 15,421 310 75
Hampshire 3,452 3,419 3,435 3,451 0 16
Kent 3,260 3,204 3,239 3,308 48 69
Surrey2 1,620 1,785 2,113 2,088 468 -25
Sussex 3,085 2,822 2,812 2,851 -233 40
Thames Valley 3,695 3,740 3,748 3,723 28 -25
South West 9,424 9,313 9,354 9,509 85 154
Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,934 2,941 2,968 -21 27
Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,841 2,873 2,927 62 54
Dorset 1,284 1,306 1,299 1,339 55 40
Gloucestershire 1,133 1,114 1,142 1,160 28 18
Wiltshire 1,154 1,118 1,099 1,114 -40 15
Wales 6,592 6,632 6,738 6,863 271 125
Dyfed Powys 1,005 1,040 1,045 1,063 58 18
Gwent 1,243 1,264 1,271 1,265 22 -6
North Wales 1,369 1,403 1,393 1,432 63 39
South Wales 2,976 2,926 3,029 3,103 127 74
England and Wales3 125,051 121,956 122,163 123,256 -1,795 1,093
Total secondments 2,107 2,214 2,384 2,281 174 -103
Total4 127,158 124,170 124,547 125,537 -1,621 990
1Northumbria police revised their total police strength figure for September 2000 by a reduction of 67 officers. This figure in this table has been corrected.
2As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
3Excluding secondments
4Including secondments

Note

Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals

Civilian Staff1
FTE
Strengh Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 30 September 2000 31 January 2001 Change March 1997 to January 2001 Change September 2000 to January 2001
North East 2,557 2,603 2,583 2,606 49 22
Cleveland 609 595 598 597 -12 -1
Durham 583 590 573 596 13 23
Northumbria 1,365 1,417 1,413 1,412 47 0

Civilian Staff1
FTE
Strengh Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 30 September 2000 31 January 2001 Change March 1997 to January 2001 Change September 2000 to January 2001
North West 6,267 6,994 7,007 7,147 880 140
Cheshire 735 823 870 860 125 -10
Cumbria 451 469 505 577 126 73
Greater Manchester 2,612 2,822 2,845 2,936 324 91
Lancashire 1,126 1,422 1,351 1,343 217 -8
Merseyside 1,343 1,458 1,437 1,430 87 -6
Yorkshire and the Humber 4,762 4,922 4,923 4,897 135 -26
Humberside 718 840 783 789 71 7
North Yorkshire 519 492 533 602 83 69
South Yorkshire 1,291 1,391 1,399 1,307 16 -93
West Yorkshire 2,234 2,199 2,208 2,199 -35 -9
East Midlands 3,555 3,769 4,039 3,964 408 -75
Derbyshire 723 826 865 867 144 2
Leicestershire 755 805 808 807 52 -1
Lincolnshire 521 516 554 552 31 -2
Northamptonshire 554 599 825 691 137 -135
Nottinghamshire 1,003 1,024 987 1,048 45 60
West Midlands 4,819 4,991 5,132 5,302 482 169
Staffordshire 763 858 897 942 179 45
Warwickshire 376 394 388 411 35 23
West Mercia 942 1,043 1,026 1,096 154 70
West Midlands 2,739 2,695 2,821 2,853 114 31
Eastern 4,234 4,485 4,699 4,802 569 103
Bedfordshire 484 490 493 487 3 -6
Cambridgeshire 607 503 543 605 -2 63
Essex2 1,199 1,348 1,472 1,452 253 -19
Hertfordshire2 818 890 948 952 134 4
Norfolk 603 655 651 684 81 33
Suffolk 522 600 592 621 99 29
London 13,840 10,890 13,382 10,341 -3499 -41
City of London 347 285 235 230 -177 -5
Metropolitan Police2 13,493 10,605 10,147 10,111 -3,382 -36
South East 6,399 6,966 7,292 7,357 956 64
Hampshire 1,316 1,443 1,462 1,404 88 -58
Kent 1,384 1,647 1,670 1,756 372 86
Surrey2 727 762 865 893 166 28
Sussex 1,149 1,328 1,405 1,448 299 43
Thames Valley 1,825 1,786 1,890 1,855 30 -35
South West 4,122 4,512 4,581 4,690 568 108
Avon and Somerset 1,438 1,436 1,437 1,459 21 22
Devon and Cornwall 1,159 1,343 1,391 1,428 269 37
Dorset 615 686 681 685 70 4
Gloucestershire 435 484 498 499 64 1
Wiltshire 475 563 574 619 144 45
Wales 2,455 2,457 2,686 2,704 248 18
Dyfed Powys 322 359 393 392 70 -1
Gwent 452 498 490 523 71 34
North Wales 476 519 511 506 30 -5
South Wales 1,206 1,081 1,293 1,283 77 -10
England and Wales3,5 53,011 52,588 53,524 53,808 797 483
Total secondments n/a 639 708 790 n/a 82
Total4,5 53,011 53,227 54,032 54,598 1,587 565
1Excluding traffic wardens
2As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
3Excluding secondments
4>Including secondments
5In the March 1997 figures, civilian secondments are counted within the figures for the forces from which they were seconded. The increase of 1,587 civilians between March 1997 and January 2001 takes this into account.

Note:

Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals