§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what financial resources were available for policing in Strathclyde region in each year since its inception; and what was the proportion of central and local government expenditure in each year;
(2) what is his estimate of the financial resources available to Strathclyde regional council for police services in each financial year since its inception; and if he will express the figures in each year from the second year onwards as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and also show against each year the annual rate of inflation;
(3) what policies the Government intend to pursue to offset shortfall in the Strathclyde police force;
(4) what recent representations he has received from Strathclyde regional council about the need to direct more resources to filling the shortfall in police officers;
(5) when was the latest assessment made of manpower level needs for Strathclyde police.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonAssessment of the manpower needs of Strathclyde police is a matter for Strathclyde regional council, subject to the establishment of the force authorised by the Secretary of State in the light of advice from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. The police establishment of the force was last determined in 1982. The allocation of resources to eliminate the current shortfall of actual strength as compared with authorised establishment is the responsibility of the regional council. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has received no recent representations in this matter but he stands ready to pay police grant on all approved net expenditure on the police. Since 1986–87 grant has been at the rate of 51 per cent. of net approved expenditure; previously the rate was 50 per cent.
Net approved expenditure on Strathclyde police from 1975–76 is given in the table, together with information about percentage increases and the rate of inflation.
Year Net approved expenditure £ Percentage increase Inflation per cent. 1975–76 41,001,332.03 — — 1976–77 51,474,235.92 25.5 15.3 1977–78 53,767,471.29 4.5 14.0 1978–79 63,745,604.37 18.6 8.2 1979–80 78,076,467.41 22.5 15.9 1980–81 93,141,224.46 19.3 16.3 1981–82 108,631,863.32 16.6 11.5 1982–83 118,244,193.93 8.8 7.1 1983–84 128,569,888.26 8.7 4.7 1984–85 138,692,064.65 7.9 5.1 1985–86 140,293,517.96 1.2 5.9 1986–87 150,396,918.13 7.2 3.2 1987–88 168,779,970.33 12.2 3.9 1988–89 1177,522,187.88 5.2 6.0 1 Provisional.