HC Deb 17 January 1979 vol 960 cc757-8W
Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in his assessment of the height regulations for male recruits for the police, if he will estimate the number of additional recruits

ENGLAND AND WALES
Establishment CNA Total population
ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MALE OFFENDERS
Remand Centres
Brockhill 177 169
Low Newton 158 206
Risley 559 859
Thorp Arch 101 167
Ashford 400 294
Latchmere House 128 147
Norwich 60 45
Cardiff 67 70
Exeter 44 54
Pucklechurch 115 100
Winchester 64 89
Local Prisons
Bedford 169 282
Birmingham 603 1,045
Leicester 229 385
Lincoln 354 558
Shrewsbury 170 233
Durham 669 990
Leeds 592 1,038
Liverpool 1,016 1,524
Manchester 904 1,454
Brixton 654 1,038
Canterbury 246 374
Lewes 333 380
Norwich 227 329
Pentonville 910 1,057
Wandsworth 1,247 1,437
Wormwood Scrubs 1,054 1,532
Camp Hill 12 7
Bristol 579 589

to police forces which could be obtained by amending the height regulations to bring the minimum height for men into line with that for women at approximately 5 ft. 4 in.

Mr. Merlyn Rees:

The police entry standards, including the height requirement, are set in relation to the demands of police work. Chief officers of police are bound to take these demands into account when considering the suitability of individual candidates for appointment as constables. I do not, therefore, think that it would be profitable to attempt to estimate the number of additional recruits who could be obtained if there were a general reduction in the height requirement.