HC Deb 29 October 1970 vol 805 cc162-5W
48. Mr. David Stoddart

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps substantially to increase police pay.

Mr. Maudling

Police pay is a matter in the first instance for consideration by the Police Council for the United Kingdom, which is now engaged in negotiating new scales of pay to take effect from 1st September, 1970.

71. Mr. Tilney

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports he has received from chief constables as to the required increase in the basic pay of police in order to eliminate vacancies in authorised establishments.

Mr. Maudling

None, but five chief officers of police serve as advisers on Committee C of the Police Council, on which the pay of the federated ranks of the police is negotiated.

82. Mr. James Johnson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the recruitment figures for the police forces; and if he will give these for the years 1968, 1969 and 1970 to the latest date.

84. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the fact that police forces throughout the country are below the required establishment, he will now make a statement on his plans to improve recruitment.

90. Mr. Bagier

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to increase recruitment in the police service; what steps he is taking to prevent wastage; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sharples

Against an authorised establishment of 109,229, the provisional figure of deficiency in police strength in England and Wales on 30th September was 15,958.

Authorised Establishment Actual Strength Deficiency
*31st December, 1964 … … … … 3,647 3,371 276
*31st December, 1966 … … … … 4,602 3,439 1,163
31st December, 1968 … … … … 4,663 3,527 1,136
31st December, 1969 … … … … 4,663 3,532 1,131
30th September, 1970 … … … … 4,663 3,607 1,056
* The figures for 1964 and 1966 represent the total establishment, strength and deficiency of the Yorks. West Riding, Barnsley, Doncaster, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield forces, which were amalgamated on 1st October, 1968.

Recruiting by individual forces is being assisted by a substantial increase this year in national publicity, and provision is being made for helping some local recruitment campaigns. Negotiations about the rates of pay effective from 1st September, 1970, are now in progress in the Police Council.

87. Mr. Gurden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he had yet decided whether to grant the undermanning allowance to Birmingham police.

Mr. Sharples

My right hon. Friend proposes to await the outcome of the Police Council's review of undermanning allowance before deciding whether to approve any additional cases.

89. Sir R. Thompson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has in mind for arresting the shortfall in recruitment of the Metropolitan Police; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sharples

I attach great importance to police recruitment. The results of recent publicity campaigns at national and local level have been encouraging and I intend to ensure a continuing recruitment effort in the future.

Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the West Yorkshire Constubulary as to the number of policemen under his control at the latest available date, the number required to bring the police force up to full strength, and figures for the same period in 1964, 1966, 1968, and 1969.

Mr. Sharples

The information is as follows:

Mr. Redmond

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police left the force in the last five years before reaching pensionable age in order to obtain more lucrative employment; whether he is aware that over 700 men will be entitled to leave the Lancashire Constabulary on pension within the next three years; and what steps he is taking to stop the decline in numbers of the police force as a whole.

Mr. Sharples

Since the beginning of 1966, 14,321 policemen have left the service in England and Wales before qualifynig for a pension and I have no doubt that pay is a factor in many cases. I am aware of the position in Lancashire and I propose to do all in my power to see that police strength is increased.

Mr. Bagier

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable on what is the present authorised strength of the Durham County Police Force; by how many it is below strength; and what was the wastage, in the last full year for which figures are available, of resignations before age of retirement.

Mr. Sharples

The authorised establishment is 2,686 and the strength at the end of September was 2,543. Premature wastage in the twelve months ending on 30th September, 1970, was 80.

Mr. David Stoddart

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to institute standard conditions of service for all police forces in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Maudling

The Police Council for the United Kingdom, set up under Section 4 of the Police Act, 1969, already exists to consider pay, allowances, leave and hours of duty in the police service.