§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many graduates are now serving in police forces in England and Wales.
§ Dr. SummerskillOn 31st December 1975, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 690, compared with 573 a year earlier.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many university graduates applied and how many were accepted into the police service under the graduate entry scheme in each of the last five years; and how many places were available had suitable candidates been found.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information for England and Wales is as follows:
completed university courses, having been sent to university by their forces, in the last five years; and how many of these continue to serve in the police service.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information for officers in England and Wales who have 247W attended a universiay under the Bramshill Scholarship Scheme is as follows:
Graduated Serving at 31st December1975 1971 20 18 1972 18 17 1973 16 15 1974 20 20 1975 19 19 In addition, about 20 officers a year are sent to a university under arrangements made locally; information about the number still serving is not readily available.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the current qualifications necessary for a recruit to meet before he can join the police service.
§ Dr. SummerskillA candidate must be:
(a) at least 181 and except in special circumstances under 30 years of age;
MEN WITH PREVIOUS SERVICE AS CASDETS Type of School Number of Officers 1–4 GCE subjects at ordinary level 5 or more GCE subjects at ordinary level 2 or more GCE subjects at advanced level No subjects at GCE level Technical or Secondary Modern 179 56 20 0 103 Comprehensive 176 50 15 2 109 Grammar 64 35 8 0 21 Public 20 9 3 1 7 Private 5 4 0 0 1 Total 444 154 46 3 241 248W
MEN WITHOUT PREVIOUS SERVICE AS CADETS Type of School Number of Officers 1–4 GCE subjects at ordinary level 5 or more GCE subjects at ordinary level 2 or more GCE subjects at advanced level* No subjects at GCE level Technical or Secondary Modern 390 85 26 20 259 Comprehensive 184 50 33 13 88 Grammar 171 46 75 20 30 Public 39 6 17 9 7 Private 14 7 4 1 2 Total 798 194 155 63* 386 * Includes 10 graduates. (b) not less than 172 cm. in height if a man, or 162 cm. if a woman, unless the chief officer of police otherwise decides;
(c) in good health, of sound constitution, and fitted physically and mentally for the duties on which he will be employed;
(d) in possession of a General Certificate of Education with at least 4 subjects at 0 level including English and Mathematics—or an equivalent qualification—or successful in the standard entrance test;
(e) of good character.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the educational qualifications of recruits joining the police service in the last available year.
§ Dr. SummerskillDetails for provincial forces are given on pages 20 and 21 of the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Corresponding tables for the Metropolitan Police are as follows:
249W
WOMEN WITH PREVIOUS SERVICE AS CADETS Nil WOMEN WITHOUT PREVIOUS SERVICE AS CADETS Type of School Number of Officers 1–4 GCE subjects at ordinary level 5 or more GCE subjects at ordinary level 2 or more GCE subjects at advanced level* No subjects at GCE level Technical or Secondary Modern 96 33 10 2 51 Comprehensive 79 34 12 5 28 Grammar 82 23 29 16 14 Public 5 3 0 0 2 Private 4 3 0 0 1 Total 266 96 51 23* 96 * Includes 8 graduates.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former police cadets joined the police service in 1975; and what proportion these were of the total intake.
§ Dr. Summerskill2,917 former cadets joined forces in England and Wales during 1975, forming 28 per cent. of the total intake.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on his policy towards the recruitment of police cadets; and whether there are any restrictions on the proportion of cadets to other recruits.
§ Dr. SummerskillOn the first part of the Question I have nothing to add to the reply given to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Morpeth (Mr. Grant) on 24th June—[Vol. 913, c. 585].
There are no formal restrictions on the proportion of cadets to other recruits, but a working party on police cadets recommended in 1965 that former cadets should not form more than 30 per cent. to 40 per cent, of the annual intake to the regular police. This recommendation has generally been followed.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions are currently placed on recruiting by police forces.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe rate support grant settlement leaves police forces free to recruit up to authorised establishments but some police authorities are limiting growth in order to comply with the overall250W restrictions in local government expenditure.
§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will describe the training now given to police recruits, detailing the length of time spent at training school.
§ Dr. SummerskillRecruits joining the Metropolitan Police have a 15-weeks' initial course and a two-weeks' continuation course at a force training school. All recruits to other forces in England and Wales attend a 10-weeks' course of initial training at one of eight police training centres administered by the Home Office. They receive further local training during their two-year probationary period and return to a training centre for a two-weeks' course of continuation training towards the end of that period.
I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a Home Office circular that gives a detailed account of the training given at the Home Office training centres.