§ Vera BairdTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results of the pilot schemes giving community support officers the right to detain people for 30 minutes will be published. [153332]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 6 February 2004]: At present six police forces are piloting the power of detention, which was given to community support officers by the Police Reform Act 2002. The forces are the Metropolitan Police Service, West Yorkshire Police, Gwent Police, Lancashire Constabulary, Northamptonshire Police, and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. The pilot is scheduled to last until December 2004.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) with the assistance of the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate are conducting an evaluation of the use of this power.
HMIC have recently initiated an interim review of the first 12 months and have indicated to me that an interim report will be provided this year with the full report available for March 2005. These reports will be published and laid before the House once they have been completed.