§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report a table of figures giving as much detailed information as may be readily available showing, for the period covered by the metropolitan and national police announcement of crime statistics in the week ended 13 March, the numbers of police, vehicles, two-way radios and other stated aids, their wage and salary scales and total costs for the same period; and how these compare with the previous year.
§ Mr. MayhewThe information available centrally for the police service in England and Wales is set out as follows:
Total strength 31 December 1980 117,423 31 December 1981 119,575
233W
Police Equipment 31 December 1980 31 December 1981 Motor vehicles 19,658 19,381 Motor cycles 2,901 2,841 Helicopters 1 2 Radios *75,000 *77,000 Major computer systems† 15 17 * Approximate figures. † All forces in England and Wales now have access to computers. In addition, all members of the Metropolitan and City of London Police are paid London allowance and London weighting at the following rates:
£ London allowance With effect from 1 September 1980 894 With effect from 1 September 1981 1,011 London weighting With effect from 1 July 1980 588 With effect from 1 July 1981 657
Total expenditure on police service Financial year £ million 1980–81 1,805.4 1981–82* 2,182.9 * Provisional.