§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proposals he has to encourage people to join the Special Constabulary;
(2) what is the present number of special constables operating in the United Kingdom;
(3) what consultations he has had with the Police Advisory Board regarding the number and effectiveness of the special constables.
§ Mr. WhitelawThere were 15,960 special constables in England and Wales on 31 December 1979, the latest date for which figures are available. The decline in the strength of the special constabulary is a matter for concern and the Police Advisory Board, after discussing the matter under my chairmanship, has decided to
Prisons and Remand Centres Males Borstals and Young Prisoner Centres Detention Centres Female Establishments Totals £ million £ million million £ million £ million Net current expenditure 189.566 39.110 9.375 8.316 246.367 Maintenance, repairs etc. 9.755 2.116 0.565 0.392 12.828 Capital expenditure 19.470 4.799 0.475 1.327 6.071 Total net expenditure 218.791 46.025 10.415 10.035 285.266 Average annual cost per inmate £5,798 £6,206 £5,638 £7,301 £5,894 Information about the annual cost of running each individual establishment is not readily available.