§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will indicate, in the case of each police authority in Wales, the criteria that weighed with him in reaching his decision on(a) how many additional police posts and (b) how many additional civilian posts he would allow to each authority for 1990–91;
(2) if he will list the figures of additional money he will make available for 1990–91 to each of the police authorities in Wales to pay for the additional establishment of police officers and indicate whether this will cover in full the cost of filling those posts;
(3) if he will list the number of additional police posts he plans to allow for 1990–91 for each police authority in Wales, together with the present police establishment for each authority and the number of additional police posts requested by each of those authorities;
(4) if he will list the number of additional posts for civilians, full-time or full-time equivalent, he plans to allow
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Dyfed Powys Gwent North Wales1 South Wales Police posts applied for — 11 10 67 Police posts approved with effect from 1 April 1990 — 2 21 31 Police officer establishment as at 1 April 1989 935 1,007 1,330 3,137 Number of civilians2 posts as at 30 September 1989 228 245 423 1,072 for 1990–91 for each police authority in Wales, together with the present civilian establishment for each authority and the number of additional civilian posts requested by each of those authorities;
(5) what sum he intends to make available to each police authority in Wales in order to fill additional civilian posts;
(6) whether he will make it his policy to ensure that the finances that he makes available to each police authority in Wales are fully adequate to cover the whole cost of filling the increased number of posts for civilian support staff employed by each authority and filling the increased police posts in the establishment for 1990–91 with the most suitable and experienced candidates available, as well as maintaining other support services as a safe level.
§ Mr. Peter LloydA table showing for each police force in Wales the number of police posts applied for, numbers approved, existing force establishment and civilian establishment, is set out as follows.
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1 Eleven extra posts offered subject to police authority's confirmation that it will meet its share of the cost. (12 of the 21 posts are already held supernumerary to establishment.) 2 Part-time staff counted on a 2: 1 basis. Traffic wardens not included. My right hon. and learned Friend considers applications for increases in police establishments on the basis of the demonstrated needs of forces and in the light of advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The general criteria which govern assessment of applications for increases are set out in Home Office circulars 114/1983 and 106/1988, copies of which are available in the Library. One of these criteria is that police authorities should have signified their intention to meet their share of the costs of the posts applied for.
Under the normal police funding arrangements, the Government meet, through police specific grant, 51 per cent. of all police authorities' expenditure for police purposes. An additional contribution is made from central funds through revenue support grant, in the case of Welsh forces from the Welsh Office. It is for police authorities in Wales, as in England, to determine the resources to be made available to their forces.
Police civilian staff attract police specific grant. My right hon. and learned Friend's approval however is not required for their appointment in provincial forces. This is a matter for the police authorities.