§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current shortage in manpower in percentage terms, excluding civilian vacancies, for each of the police authorities in England.
§ Dr. Summerskill:The position at 31st October 1978 was as follows:
31st October 1978 Percentage deficiency Avon and Somerset 2.66 Bedfordshire 7.70 Cambridgeshire 5.04 Cheshire 3.87 Cleveland 7.79 Cumbria 6.09 Derbyshire 12.05 Devon and Cornwall 1.60 Dorset 5.49 Durham 5.11 Essex 6.13 Gloucestershire 6.98 Greater Manchester 6.62 Hampshire 3.18 Hertfordshire 5.74 Humberside 7.83 Kent 5.28 Lancashire 1.44 Leicestershire 2.52 Lincolnshire 4.73 Merseyside 4.85 Norfolk 4.74 Northamptonshire 7.05 Northumbria 4.30 North Yorkshire 2.71 Nottinghamshire 2.79 South Yorkshire 10.28 Staffordshire 6.82 Suffolk 6.07 Surrey 10.63 Sussex 4.71 Thames Valley 12.71 Warwickshire 4.22 West Mercia 8.39 West Midlands 10.24 West Yorkshire 10.28 Wiltshire 5.38 City of London 20.74 Metropolitan 18.14