HC Deb 18 May 1988 vol 133 cc466-7W
Mr. Soames

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reached decisions on the applications from police authorities for increase in provincial police force establishments in 1988–89.

Mr. Hurd

I have approved 450 additional posts with effect from 1 June as follows:

Police authority Posts approved
Avon and Somerset 20
Bedfordshire 10
Police authority Posts approved
Cambridgeshire 20
Cheshire 15
Devon and Cornwall 25
Essex 20
Gwent 9
Hampshire 23
Kent 30
Norfolk 20
Northamptonshire 20
Northumbria 30
North Wales 10
Nottinghamshire 35
South Yorkshire 20
Staffordshire 10
Thames Valley 40
West Midlands 70
West Yorkshire 23

With the 50 additional police posts previously authorised for Thames Valley with effect from 1 April 1988, I have now approved 500 police posts for provincial forces for 1988–89. This is part of the phased programme of about 2,000 additional posts for provincial forces which I announced in May 1986 and brings to 5,553 the posts approved since 1979.