§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) police, (b) beat and (c) traffic officers there were in the Metropolitan police in each of the past 10 years; and what the (i) total, (ii) beat policing and (iii) traffic policing budget was in each of those years. [31020]
§ Mr. DenhamHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary collect information on the number of officers in different functions. Information on the Metropolitan police force is set out in the table. Information before 1996–97 is not available.
Total Police officers Patrol, or foot/car/beat patrol1 Traffic1 1996–97 26,447 12,307 922 1997–98 26,094 12,159 823 1998–99 25,956 11,716 782 1999–2000 25,462 12,312 824 2000–01 24,935 10,984 686 1 Definitions of patrol and traffic officers changed in 1999–2000 Note:
The Metropolitan police was affected by boundary changes on 1 April 2000. The effect of this was incorporated into the funding formula and the overall transfer between the forces involved was in terms of financial resources, not of officers. Because it is for police authorities and Chief Constables to decide how resources are utilised, it is not possible to say what proportion of the reduction in Metropolitan police strength between 1999–2000 and 2000–01 relates to boundary changes.
I am informed by the Commissioner that budgets have not been allocated on a functional basis that would allow identification against beat and traffic policing. The Commissioner has provided the information about net revenue budgets set out in the table.
456W
£000 Net revenue budget 1991–92 1,415,167 1992–93 1,523,043 1993–94 1,597,684 1994–95 1,616,511 1995–96 1,632,663 1996–97 1,667,330 1997–98 1,707,553 1998–99 1,778,238 1999–2000 1,846,564 2000–01 1,842,433 2001–02 2,040,100