§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days were lost through sickness in(a)the Lancashire constabulary and (b)police forces of a similar size and displaying similar characteristics in England since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [157798]
§ Ms BlearsThe total number of days lost to sick leave, and average days per officer and support staff member, in Lancashire Constabulary, and the most similar forces, in each of the years since 2000 are identified:
Force Days lost to sick leave
Days per officer
Days per staff
1999–2000 Avon and Somerset 54,244 11.5 11.8 Durham 22,463 10.6 9.0 Gwent 23,509 13.2 11.2 Hertfordshire 29,291 10.4 11.1 Humberside 27,563 9.1 9.8 Kent 54,023 10.7 11.2 Lancashire 57,854 12.4 117 South Wales 70,766 15.5 18.8 England and Wales 2,172,859 11.6 12.4 2000–01 Avon and Somerset 60,333 13.4 12.3 Durham 26,983 13.0 10.6 Gwent 27,218 15.4 13.1 Hertfordshire 35,956 11.8 13.7 Humberside 26,334 8.6 11.5 Kent 59,134 11.6 11.5 Lancashire 60,924 12.5 12.8 South Wales 69,983 16.1 14.6 England and Wales 2,263,075 12.2 12.6 2001–02 Avon and Somerset 61,620 13.0 12.5 Durham 25,296 11.1 11.9 Gwent 28,870 15.6 12.0 Hertfordshire 35,339 11.9 10.9 Humberside 27,493 8.6 10.2 Kent 61,170 11.1 11.8 Lancashire 59,417 11.6 11.7 South Wales 60,785 12.7 14.0 England and Wales 2,228,478 11.5 12.0 2002–03 Avon and Somerset 60,468 11.4 12.8 Durham 25,148 10.1 12.6 Gwent 26,508 10.5 13.2 Hertfordshire 36,860 10.6 12.4 Humberside 25,094 7.8 8.1 Kent 65,089 10.7 12.7 Lancashire 61.296 10.9 14.1 South Wales 54,537 10.1 13.9 England and Wales 2,158,146 10.4 11.7 The National Policing plan for 2002, I set a target of 11.5 days for police officers and 12.0 for police staff by
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Total police vehicle accidents 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–20 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Avon and Somerset 507 477 531 457 394 616 647 Bedfordshire 205 320 161 215 170 167 196 Cambridgeshire 256 303 238 200 225 183 217 Cheshire 194 111 142 112 124 175 167 City of London 80 62 64 56 90 30 38 Cleveland 75 86 44 62 92 1— 142 Cumbria 116 133 87 144 152 182 186 Derbyshire 320 383 399 355 379 399 447 Devon and Cornwall 250 308 337 347 352 369 449 the end of 2005–06. Achieving further reductions in sickness absence is one of the principle objectives of the Strategy for a Healthy Police Service.
The Strategy for a Healthy Police has continued to focus forces on the reduction of sickness absence, and provide forces with funding to improve their occupational health, safety and welfare provision further.
Sickness absence figures have improved since the launch of the Strategy, with overall sickness absence now at a national average of 10.4 days per officer per year, and 11.7 per support staff member. The best performing forces have continued to make improvements, but the gap between best and worst performers has also significantly narrowed.
Lancashire has continued to make progress in reducing its sickness absence levels.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2004,Official Report,column 243W, on police, what the reasons were for the rise in numbers of accidents in which police vehicles were involved in Gloucestershire; and what the approximate cost of this increase was. [159392]
§ Caroline FlintUnfortunately, the table showing the number of accidents involving police vehicles given in the answer contained some errors. I apologise for this. The correct table is now shown as follows.
We do not keep records centrally on the reasons for every police vehicle accident across the country. The Home Office has, however, consulted the Chief Constable of the Gloucestershire Constabulary, who informs us that all police vehicle accidents in his Force area are carefully monitored. Procedures and policies are kept under review in line with national Association of Chief Police Officers guidelines. Officers driving police vehicles undergo extensive training and the safety of officers and the public is taken extremely seriously.
It is not possible to say exactly why this increase has occurred. The number of police vehicle accidents fluctuates over time, across the country. Gloucestershire Constabulary has increased its number of operational officers and vehicles over recent years. This has increased vehicle mileage to 4,138,830 miles in the last 12 months. Information is not available centrally on the costs of police vehicle accidents. However. a significant number of accidents recorded involve only minor damage with no risk of injury to any party. None of the accidents resulted in fatalities, to either police officers or members of the public.
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Total police vehicle accidents 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–20 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Dorset 119 139 129 143 166 188 184 Durham 159 142 184 157 182 178 1— Dyfed-Powys 75 42 40 88 162 198 204 Essex 391 396 406 392 446 392 414 Gloucestershire 196 147 163 228 181 124 203 Greater Manchester 957 774 933 981 1,108 1,050 1,038 Gwent 195 182 217 194 179 199 160 Hampshire 555 594 560 665 622 617 543 Hertfordshire 223 196 197 221 307 310 344 Humberside 188 207 236 162 198 194 150 Kent 423 546 448 427 507 506 732 Lancashire 449 268 160 417 331 244 510 Leicestershire 214 173 186 168 161 145 180 Lincolnshire 71 94 185 149 141 114 131 Merseyside 320 414 262 335 260 325 240 Metropolitan Police 3,783 4,045 4,645 4,643 5,375 3,657 4,910 Norfolk 192 211 184 221 224 202 231 Northamptonshire 134 139 91 68 147 86 121 Northumbria 1— 489 472 510 445 432 513 North Wales 95 48 46 46 77 92 60 North Yorkshire 131 140 140 102 167 117 397 Nottinghamshire 298 278 225 211 213 240 316 South Wales 597 563 651 663 873 833 917 South Yorkshire 292 357 400 367 279 216 316 Staffordshire 557 644 646 527 462 298 306 Suffolk 136 122 168 143 137 142 119 Surrey 270 108 108 42 148 103 320 Sussex 401 282 223 567 462 1— 470 Thames Valley 888 688 918 1,045 1,063 1,127 992 Warwickshire 137 135 123 136 132 135 119 West Mercia 175 270 260 201 234 202 293 West Midlands 1,503 1,367 1,210 1,220 1,286 1,360 1— West Yorkshire 728 500 453 629 553 619 672 Wiltshire 53 63 66 52 60 60 50 Notes: 1Data not yet submitted by force. 1. The information is provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, to whom forces submit statistical returns. 2. All figures are for financial years. 3. The figures for police vehicle accidents include all incidents in which a police vehicle sustains damage, including those where no other vehicle is involved. They encompass a very wide range of incidents from the very serious to the trivial, such as a scratched vehicle in a
police yard.
§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a)officers and (b)civilians served in the Staffordshire police force in each year since 1996. [160060]
§ Ms BlearsThe information requested is set out in the table
Staffordshire Police-strength 31 March 1996 to 31 December 2003
Police officers Police staff 31 March 1996 2.209 754 31 March 1997 2,211 763 31 March 1998 2.292 866 31 March 1999 2,238 1,004 31 March 2000 2,170 858 31 March 2001 2,129 935 31 March 2002 2,133 1,030 31 March 2003 2,202 1,146 31 December 2003 2,253 Not available
§ Phil SawfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions his Department has made available additional funding for police authorities to cover the cost of large scale and expensive investigations in each of the last five years. [157371]
§ Ms BlearsBetween 1999–2000 and 2003–04, 45 special grants were paid to 22 police authorities for large scale, exceptionally high cost police operations. Cases were considered in the light of individual circumstances, subject to funds being available in each year.
The majority of payments have been for major public order and security operations. Four special grants have been for major criminal investigations. The table sets out special grant payments made in each year since 1999–2000.
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£ million Force area 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 to date Cambridgeshire — 1.0 — 24.65 — Cleveland — 1.9 — — — Devon and Cornwall 0.52 — — — — Dorset1 1.6 0.9 — 0.89 1.87 Essex6 2.0 0.135 — — — Gloucestershire5 — — — 0.25 4.696 Greater Manchester3 — — 3.14 3.3 — Kent 0.67 — — — — Lancashire1 0.89 — 1.89 1.5 1.08 Lincolnshire7 — — — — 0.5 London, City of — — 1.2 — — Metropolitan police — 1.0 1.0 — — North Yorkshire — — 1.0 — 0.1 South Yorkshire 1.0 1.0 — 1.0 — South Wales — — 0.3 0.3 0.15 Staffordshire 0.36 — — — 0.25 Surrey — 0.1 — ?70.28 — Sussex1 — 1.66 1.75 — — Warwickshire 0.15 — — — — West Midlands 0.116 — — — — West Yorkshire4 — — 2.22 — 1.0 Wiltshire7 — 0.87 — — — Total 7.306 8.565 125 12.17 9.646 1Dorset. Lancashire and Sussex regularly receive special grants for the cost of policing the annual Labour and Conservative party conferences.
2Includes £3.5 million for the Soham murder investigation. 3Policing of the Commonwealth Games and Oldham riot. 4Bradford riot policing costs. 5Grant to date for policing of RAF Fairford during Iraq war. 6Stansted Airport hijack. 7Surrey was assisted with the cost of the Amanda Dowler, Deepcut Barracks and SE rapist investigations, Wiltshire with the cost of the Porton Down investigation. Lincolnshire is being assisted with a major fraud investigation.
Dorset. Lancashire and Sussex regularly receive special grants for the cost of policing the annual Labour and Conservative party conferences.
2 Includes £3.5 million for the Soham murder investigation.
3 Policing of the Commonwealth Games and Oldham riot.
4 Bradford riot policing costs.
5 Grant to date for policing of RAF Fairford during Iraq war.
6 Stansted Airport hijack.
7 Surrey was assisted with the cost of the Amanda Dowler, Deepcut Barracks and SE rapist investigations, Wiltshire with the cost of the Porton Down investigation. Lincolnshire is being assisted with a major fraud investigation.
§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much compensation was paid by police authorities in England and Wales to claimants in respect of assaults by serving police officers in each year from 1990 to 2003. [159721]
§ Ms BlearsInformation concerning how much compensation was paid by police authorities in England and Wales to claimants in respect of assaults by serving police officers in each year from 1990 to 2003 is not held centrally either by the Home Office or, I understand, by the Association of Police Authorities. It could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many successful claimants against police authorities in England and Wales in respect of assault by serving police officers were themselves originally charged with assault or a public order offence in each year from 1990 to 2003; [159723]
(2) how many successful claims against police authorities in England and Wales in respect of assault by serving officers were concluded in each year from 1990 to 2003. [159724]
§ Ms BlearsInformation concerning how many successful claims against police authorities in England and Wales, in respect of assault by serving officers, were concluded in each year from 1990 to 2003 is not held centrally by the Home Office or I understand by the Association of Police Authorities. It could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in full-time police officers in Crosby has been since 1997. [160537]
§ Ms BlearsCrosby is part of the Sefton Basic Command Unit (BCU). Information on strength at BCU level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March for each year. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.
Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the Sefton BCU increased by 0.5 per cent. (from 431 to 433). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Norman Bettison QPM) and within the Sefton BCU deployment of officers is a matter for Divisional Commander.