§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the level of the police precept in each English police authority, based on(a) Band D council tax and (b) other measures for which comparative information is available, in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92082]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 22 January 2003]: Precept levels are determined by police authorities.
Police precepts (Band D level) for English Police Authorities since 1995–96 are set out in the table. Before April 1995 policing in shire areas was provided by county councils. Figures for the police component of county precepts are unavailable.
(b) Tendring division, (c) Colchester division and (d) England; and if he will list the most recent performance in each case. [91463]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Government do not set target times for emergency response.
713WThe emergency response targets set by Essex Police Authority within Essex Police are the same for all divisions:
- Rural—20 minutes,
- Urban—10 minutes.
There is not a national target—forces set their own, although the majority are rural 20 minutes and urban 10 minutes; the others are very similar.
The latest Essex performance figures are as follows:
- Essex Police—Target 86 per cent. Performance (rolling 12 months to end December 2002) 83.5 per cent.
- Tendring Division—Target 88 per cent. Performance (rolling 12 months to end December 2002) 88.3 per cent.
- Colchester Division—Target 88 per cent. Performance (rolling 12 months to end December 2002) 83.9 per cent.
The most recent figures available for England and Wales are those given in the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary annual report 2001–02 published on 9 December 2002. These show that the average response times for attending incidents within target times were 78.7 per cent. in urban areas and 86.9 per cent. in rural areas.