§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the approved number of officers in the Metropolitan police force is; and when that level was last reviewed. [39972]
288W
§ Mr. DenhamThe number of police officers in the Metropolitan Police service is the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police Authority within the budget set by the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The budget set by the GLA for 2002–03 provides for an increase in Metropolitan police strength of 1,000 officers.
§ Mr. SalterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which(a) members of the Metropolitan Police Authority, (b) business associates of those members and (c) companies in which such members have an interest have been in paid employment by the Metropolitan police service. [42740]
§ Mr. DenhamI am advised by the Clerk to the Metropolitan Police Authority that the Register of Members' Interests for members of the Metropolitan Police Authority is a public document available for inspection through the Clerk to the Authority.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has set improvement targets for individual Metropolitan police basic command units; and if he will make a statement. [41612]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 8 March 2002]: The Government have required all police authorities, including the Metropolitan Police Authority, to set targets for reductions in domestic burglary, vehicle crime and, in our major cities, robbery. Targets at basic command unit level are not set centrally.
The Police Standards Unit will monitor performance at basic command unit level in all forces and will work with basic command units to improve performance where appropriate.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about the level of crime in London; and if he will make a statement. [41616]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 8 March 2002]: I have regular bilateral meetings with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis where current issues about the policing of London are discussed.
289W
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets he has set for the decrease in street robberies in the Metropolitan police force area. [41611]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 8 March 2002]: The Metropolitan Police Service's target is to reduce street crime (covering robbery and theft from the person, irrespective of location) by 15 per cent. by March 2005 from a baseline of 1999–2000.
Police force September 1997 September 1998 September 1999 September 2000 September 2001 Avon and Somerset 629 584 482 416 391 Bedfordshire 186 175 148 134 119 Cambridgeshire 336 308 293 214 197 Cheshire 491 416 358 307 233 Cleveland 157 136 108 122 98 Cumbria 184 210 193 167 125 Derbyshire 414 355 303 286 263 Devon and Cornwall 1,079 916 908 836 780 Dorset 325 303 287 278 258 Durham 178 159 169 155 146 Essex 641 590 528 478 413 Gloucestershire 287 245 221 197 153 Greater Manchester 657 567 498 408 355 Hampshire 681 747 720 541 444 Hertfordshire 306 267 232 214 177 Humberside 348 289 263 198 207 Kent 588 565 484 416 366 Lancashire 500 465 397 362 325 Leicestershire 402 350 303 202 155 Lincolnshire 273 233 218 179 160 London, City of 84 69 66 46 34 Merseyside 407 463 467 452 507 Metropolitan police 1,528 1,214 1,173 754 753 Norfolk 346 351 317 270 240 Northamptonshire 314 262 210 195 184 Northumbria 480 352 356 323 276 North Yorkshire 337 302 245 189 186 Nottinghamshire 597 530 405 411 281 South Yorkshire 295 266 236 193 189 Staffordshire 643 558 460 461 395 Suffolk 300 402 420 376 322 Surrey 231 226 205 168 176 Sussex 465 415 377 317 301 Thames Valley 694 587 514 463 377 Warwickshire 379 323 260 260 208 WestMercia 558 499 512 443 364 West Midlands 949 784 697 662 604 West Yorkshire 604 590 572 452 371 Wiltshire 150 176 182 172 160 Dyfed Powys 241 237 237 193 174 Gwent 149 114 110 131 148 North Wales 388 336 262 233 203 South Wales 362 360 331 254 250 Note:
Figures provided by Research, Development and Statistics
The Government are committed to increasing the size of the special constabulary and are working on a number of options designed to achieve this. These include improvements to the recruitment, training, conditions, management and deployment of specials—focusing their role on intelligence-led, high visibility patrolling and local crime reduction initiatives.