§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current approved
Police authority/force Increase applied for Increase approved City of London *6 (for 1985–86) — Cumbria *14 (for 1985£86) — Devon and Cornwall 5 (for 1985–86) 5 *18 (for 1986–87) — Dorset 20 20 Essex 10 10 Hertfordshire *33 (for October 1986) — Northamptonshire 6 (for 1985–86) 6 *23 (for 1986–87) — Staffordshire *52 — Suffolk *50 (from April 1986) — Surrey 22 10 Sussex *66 (for January 1987) — Thames Valley †l67 30 *200(for 1986–87 onwards) — Warwickshire *29 — West Mercia 30 30 Wiltshire *11 — * These applications are under consideration. †Thames Valley applied in November 1984 for 174 additional police posts without specifying when they would be needed. An increase of 20 posts was subsequently approved for 1984–85, and 30 for 1985–86. The current application for an increase of 200 posts supersedes the previous application. Fifty additional police posts have been approved for the Metropolitan police for 1985–86 and 50 for 1986–87. In addition, as my right hon. Friend indicated to the House on 21 October 1985 at column 31, he has set urgent work in hand to assess where there are demonstrated needs for increases in the Metropolitan police establishment.
We consider applications for increases in police establishments on the basis of the demonstrated needs of police forces, and in the light of advice from Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary, who have been requested by my right hon. Friend to assess the position.