§ Mr. ShersbyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers of Association of Chief Police Officers rank joined the service under the graduate entry scheme, or otherwise benefited from the special course at Bramshill; how many possess university degrees; how many achieved them through the Bramshill scholarship scheme; and how many hold other qualifications relevant to their responsibilities as chief officers.
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§ Mr. Peter LloydThe graduate entry scheme was introduced in 1968 to attract recruits with higher educational qualifications to the police service and give them the opportunity of accelerated promotion through the Bramshill special course. Most serving members of the Association of Chief Police Officers had joined the police service before this date, but two officers now of assistant chief constable rank were recruited to the service under this scheme. A further 80 officers of ACPO rank were selected for and attended the special course through the service's internal competition.
The information held centrally is not comprehensive, and I shall write to my hon. Friend once I have been able to review and update all senior officers' personal records. In the meantime, the information currently available shows that 103 of the 241 members of the Association of Chief Police Officers hold degrees. (Our records do not distinguish between degrees awarded by universities, polytechnics and other institutions). Of these 103 officers, 50 gained their degrees through the Bramshill scholarship scheme. Nineteen current members of ACPO are companions, members or fellows of the British Institute of Management. Nineteen hold other management qualifications (such as the diploma in management studies and certificate in personnel management) or have completed senior management courses such as the top management programme at the civil service college or the Royal College of Defence Studies course. There is some overlap between these groups.