HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1478-9W
Mr. Paice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to intervene in the operations of the Metropolitan Police; and if he will make a statement. [42630]

Mr. John Denham

[holding answer 12 March 2002]: Operational policy decisions are the responsibility of the chief officer of each police force. In the case of the Metropolitan Police, this is the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, Sir John Stevens.

Where under-performance in a force has been identified by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Police Reform Bill contains a power which will enable the Home Secretary to require that the relevant police authority instructs the chief office to provide an action plan setting out the remedial measures which he/she will take to correct that under-performance. We have no current plan to use this power with respect to the Metrpolitan Police Service (MPS).

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have resigned from the Metropolitan Police force in each of the last three years. [51148]

Mr. John Denham

The information has been provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. Also included is information on the number of officers recruited by the Metropolitan Police in those years. Information for 2001–02 is not yet available.

Year 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01
Resignations 337 365 435
All leavers (excluding transfers) 1,300 1,020 1,154
Recruitment 1,516 994 1,276