§ Mr. Townsendasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cadets there are in England and Wales in the current year: and how this compares with the numbers for each of the last four years.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe figures are as follows:
31st March No. of Cadets 1973 … … … … 4,279 1974 … … … … 4,358 1975 … … … … 4,856 1976 … … … … 4,414 1977 … … … … 3,213
§ Mr. Townsendasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cadet schools have been forced to close down due to the withdrawal of financial support in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesNone was closed in the period from 1st April 1974 and 31st December 1974. One was closed in 1975, one in 1976 and two in 1977. The school which closed in 1976 was reopened in the 141W spring of this year. Information for the period before 1st April 1974 is not available.
§ Mr. Townsendasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which constabularies in England and Wales have had to stop the enlistment of police cadets due to financial cuts in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesA number of police authorities decided that intakes of cadets in one or more of the last three years should be stopped or reduced, and in the current year all police authorities will have in mind our request that cadet strength should be reduced to 55 per cent. of the September 1974 strengths by 31st March 1978. I do not have details of the decisions made by individual authorities.