HC Deb 25 November 2002 vol 395 cc106-9W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables were employed by each police service in each year since 1992. [81003]

Mr. Denham

For 1992 and 1993 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) collected data on the number of special constables in England and Wales at the end of the calendar year. In December 1992 there were 19,035 special constables. The figure for December 1993 was 20,573. The HMIC data was collected for the financial year 1994–95 when there were 20,026 special constables.

Since 1995, data on special constabulary strength has been collected by the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate for end of March and September each year. This is shown in the table.

Special constable total strength, September 1995 to March 2002
September 1995 March 1996 September 1996 March 1997 September 1997 March 1998 September 199S March 1999 September 1999 March 2000 September 2000 March 2001 September 2001 March 2002
Lancashire 594 553 510 483 500 489 465 449 397 382 362 360 325 363
Leicestershire 334 360 391 415 402 406 350 316 303 247 202 162 155 143
Lincolnshire 311 299 279 271 273 260 233 216 218 195 179 166 160 155
City of London 81 77 90 86 84 76 69 64 66 56 46 43 34 36
Merseyside 349 333 392 401 407 419 463 458 467 476 452 541 507 468
Metropolitan police 1,657 1,850 1,797 1,714 1,528 1,282 1,214 1,138 1,173 758 754 774 753 680
Norfolk 325 319 311 402 346 337 351 336 317 285 270 259 240 244
Northamptonshire 298 289 301 316 314 288 262 230 210 199 195 188 177 177
Northumbria 479 471 458 533 480 400 352 342 356 332 323 300 276 256
North Yorkshire 359 360 368 362 337 358 302 276 245 217 189 182 186 185
Nottinghamshire 534 537 596 620 597 558 530 461 405 411 411 335 281 341
South Yorkshire 423 381 330 308 295 281 266 246 236 205 193 188 189 206
Staffordshire 687 702 752 685 643 595 558 468 460 482 461 402 395 384
Suffolk 419 407 391 379 300 397 402 420 420 391 376 349 322 308
Surrey 241 260 248 297 231 235 226 224 205 175 168 149 176 187
Sussex 514 511 485 472 465 442 415 393 377 352 317 306 301 306
Thames Valley 764 744 731 656 694 609 587 569 514 472 463 418 377 356
Warwickshire 351 340 357 381 379 345 323 261 260 260 260 221 208 209
West Mercia 587 613 564 582 558 512 499 515 512 476 443 399 364 339
West Midlands 849 897 913 945 949 889 784 731 697 680 662 617 604 598
West Yorkshire 783 709 664 690 604 589 590 559 572 484 452 415 371 349
Wiltshire 259 233 120 154 150 149 176 184 182 173 172 152 160 147
Dyfed Powys 304 314 309 283 241 254 237 237 237 202 193 191 174 157
Gwent 129 136 157 157 149 119 114 113 110 119 131 137 148 142
North Wales 323 332 324 341 388 358 336 400 262 247 233 207 203 125
South Wales 469 461 383 361 362 366 360 338 331 267 254 254 250 277
Total 19,655 19,775 19,451 19,874 19,163 18,256 17,296 16,484 15,727 14,347 13,487 12,722 12,054 11,598

Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving special constables there are; and how many there were in each year since 1997. [81909]

Mr. Denham

Data on the strength of the special constabulary in England and Wales are collected by the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate for the end of March and September each year. The numbers of special constables from March 1997 to March 2002 are given in the table.

Special constabulary strength 1997–2002
Number
March 1997 19,874
September 1997 19,163
March 1998 18,256
September 1998 17,296
March 1999 16,484
September 1999 15,727
March 2000 14,347
September 2000 13,487
March 2001 12,722
September 2001 12,054
March 2002 11,598

Note:

Figures supplied by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate

Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on measures taken to recruit special constables. [81910]

Mr. Denham

We are supporting forces in the recruitment of special constables through advertising and promotional material. In the last year, the Home Office has run a police specials recruitment campaign in the national press. Advertisements appeared under the police "Could You?" campaign branding and sought to demonstrate the kind of situations that a special constable could face.

Information is not available on the direct effect on recruitment, but expressions of interest on the hotline number and website rose from 247 in December 2001 to 1,681 in January 2002 when the ads were first run.

We have also produced new recruitment literature, which will be sent to all new inquirers interested in becoming a special constable. A new information pack is also being produced for employers to promote the potential benefits business can derive from supporting staff who are interested in joining the special constabulary.

Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what charges per officer are imposed by the police force for providing special constables to cover events where necessary. [81915]

Mr. Denham

This information is not collected centrally. The decision whether to charge for the provision of special police services under section 25 of the Police Act 1996 is a matter for police authorities and chief constables.

Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down the cost, per officer, of training and equipping specials within the special constabulary. [81916]

Mr. Denham

This information is not held centrally.

Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations his Department has received concerning initiatives encouraging public sector employers to allow employees leave to serve in the special constabulary; [81919]

(2)what representations his Department has received from the special constabulary regarding payment and conditions; [81908]

(3)what representations his Department has received concerning the average length of time served by a special constable within the service; [81914]

(4)what representations his Department has received concerning the success of advertising for recruitment within the special constabulary; [81913]

(5)what representations his Department has received regarding the effectiveness of the special constabulary; [81907]

(6)what representations his Department has received regarding the introduction of (a) pay and (b) benefits for the special constabulary; [81906]

(7)what recent representations his Department has received regarding the number of special constables leaving the special constabulary. [81911]

Mr. Denham

We consult regularly with representatives of the special constabulary and other stakeholders on the future development of the special constabulary and on conditions of service issues.

We believe that the special constabulary has a vital role to play in combating crime and providing reassurance to the public.

We are working with stakeholders on a package of measures which are designed to increase the size of the special constabulary. We intend to amend the Special Constabulary Regulations to provide greater flexibility for police authorities to a limited number of trial schemes for making small payments to specials. These trial schemes will require the approval of the Secretary of State. A new headline role for specials has been agreed and a national "foundation" training package developed. We are working on joint Home Office/ Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) good practice guidance covering all aspects of the recruitment, management and deployment of specials.

We have identified a number of "special champions" projects to take forward initiatives to support the good practice guidance and have allocated £300,000 this year for this work.

We fully recognise the contribution employers can make to supporting the work of specials. We are looking at how we can develop closer links with employers to increase awareness of the range of skills specials acquire through their training and operational experience and to encourage engagement with the special constabulary.