§ John CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers of 18 December 2001,Official Report, column 232W and 28 June 2001, Official Report, column 120W, on police numbers, what proportion of the change in the number of police officers in the Metropolitan police area is attributable to the transfer of responsibility of policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex in April 2000. [29506]
§ Mr. DenhamThe effects of the Metropolitan police boundary changes on 1 April 2000 were incorporated into the police funding formula and the overall transfer between the forces was in terms of financial resources, not of officers. Where data on police numbers are used in the formula, a notional transfer of 887 from the50W Metropolitan police to the three county forces was applied. Because it is for police authorities and Chief Constables to decide how resources are utilised, it is not appropriate to convert the notional transfer directly into a full-time equivalent strength for the Metropolitan police as a consequence of the changes.
Between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001 the strength of the Metropolitan police fell by 607, to 24,878. This will have been due to a combination of boundary change resources and the temporary secondments to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey. By 30 September 2001, the numbers of officers in the Metropolitan police had increased to 25,374—496 more than on 31 March 2000.
§ Mr. RandallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in the Metropolitan Police Service have left the service in each of the last four years as a result of(a) reaching retirement age, (b) being retired sick, (c) being transferred to another force and (d) resignation. [26881]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information set out in the table has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
Year Normal retirement Medical retirement Transfer to another force Resignation Total 1997–98 594 405 265 247 1,511 1998–99 592 494 229 332 1,647 1999–2000 554 285 243 361 1,443 2000–01 465 220 382 359 1,426