§ Mr. WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is able to announce his decisions on increases in police establishments for 1989–90.
§ Mr. HurdI announced to the House on 14 November at columns397–98 that I was able to approve 800 additional police posts for provincial forces in 1989–90 and that provision had been made for 300 additional police officers and 250 civilian staff for the Metropolitan police, subject to my being satisfied that earlier increases had been used effectively. That would make a total of 1,100 extra police officers for England and Wales. In addition, I can approve up to 130 posts where satisfied that the full cost would be reimbursed by a third party.
Applications from police authorities outside London have exceeded the number available for allocation and I have therefore had to set priorities. With advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary, I have approved increases in police establishments with effect from 1 April 1989 as shown in the following table. The table also shows posts which I would be prepared to approve for stage II probationer training for constables, due for introduction in mid-1989, provided the police authorities apply formally for these posts and guarantee their readiness to meet their share of the costs.
Force Posts approved Training posts yet to be formally approved Avon and Somerset 20 — Bedfordshire 16 — Cambridgeshire 15 3 Cheshire 8 — Cleveland 9 6 Cumbria 9 3 Devon and Cornwall 15 4 Dorset 22 — Durham 14 4 Essex 15 8 Greater Manchester 45 — Gwent 5 7 Hampshire 20 — Hertfordshire 20 — Humberside 20 — Kent 27 — Lancashire 8 7 Leicestershire 18 9 Merseyside 22 — Norfolk 24 — Northamptonshire 12 3 Northumbria 30 — North Wales — 4 North Yorkshire 10 5 Nottinghamshire 16 8 South Wales 18 10 South Yorkshire 16 11 Staffordshire 16 6 Surrey 6 4 Sussex1 17 — Thames Valley 44 — Warwickshire 7 4 West Mercia 28 — West Midlands 62 — West Yorkshire 20 12 Wiltshire 7 4 1 Includes approval for three posts at Gatwick airport, where the costs are reimbursed and which were previously held supernumerary to establishment. Seventy per cent. of the posts approved will be deployed on operational duties identified by chief constables, mainly 7W at constable level. I have also retained 20 posts for allocation to regional crime squads specifically for their work in connecton with drugs. I await consideration of the results of a review of the manpower needs of the drugs wings of the regional crime squads before I decide on their specific allocation.
In a number of cases, my approval of extra police posts for forces is conditional either on the police authority's confirmation that their share of funding is available or that the posts specifically identified for training will be so deployed by the chief constable. In some cases I require confirmation on both points.
I hope to be able to confirm the Metropolitan police posts before Easter.