§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables have been in place in each English police force in each year since 1996. [114307]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe data requested, as at March 1996–2002, are set out in the table.
Since March 1998, information on the strength of special constabularies for each police force has been published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletins on police strength in England and Wales, copies of which are available in the Library. 871W
Special constable strength in England by police force area March Police force 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Avon and Somerset 688 759 621 547 459 400 364 Bedfordshire 189 182 186 154 151 115 118 Cambridgeshire 275 303 320 310 274 218 207 Cheshire 274 475 459 407 350 290 191 Cleveland 195 160 164 126 128 93 85 Cumbria 201 189 198 204 176 156 102 Derbyshire 413 428 380 317 282 275 260 Devon and Cornwall 1,102 1,148 1,024 918 870 796 689 Dorset 254 289 315 305 298 267 253 Durham 187 184 144 159 157 146 134 Essex 608 634 638 544 483 445 381 Gloucestershire 330 297 276 233 206 183 154 Greater Manchester 746 685 598 523 457 367 338 Hampshire 564 621 698 760 615 454 444 Hertfordshire 315 297 306 238 216 198 206 Humberside 391 340 324 269 246 212 207 Kent 555 589 592 526 436 392 327 Lancashire 553 483 489 449 382 360 363 Leicestershire 360 415 406 316 247 162 143 Lincolnshire 299 271 260 216 195 166 155 City of London 77 86 76 64 56 43 36 Merseyside 333 401 419 458 476 541 468 Metropolitan police 1,850 1,714 1,282 1138 758 774 680 Norfolk 319 402 337 336 285 259 244 Northamptonshire 289 316 288 230 199 188 177 Northumbria 471 533 400 342 332 300 256 North Yorkshire 360 362 358 276 217 182 185 Nottinghamshire 537 620 558 461 411 335 341 South Yorkshire 381 308 281 246 205 188 206 Staffordshire 702 685 595 468 482 402 384 Suffolk 407 379 397 420 391 349 308 Surrey 260 297 235 224 175 149 187 Sussex 511 472 442 393 352 306 306 Thames Valley 744 656 609 569 472 418 356 Warwickshire 340 381 345 261 260 221 209 WestMercia 613 582 512 515 476 399 339 West Midlands 897 945 889 731 680 617 598 West Yorkshire 709 690 589 559 484 415 349 Wiltshire 233 154 149 184 173 152 147 Total all forces in England 18,532 18,732 17,159 15,396 13,512 11,933 10,897 Source:
Figures provided by Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate.