HC Deb 12 June 1992 vol 209 cc332-3W
Mr. Hendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the increase in police establishment numbers and the increase in actual numbers of police officers for each county since 1979.

Mr. Charles Wardle

The information requested is given in the table, which includes combined county forces and joint metropolitan areas, as well as single shire county forces. The establishment figures include the increases approved with effect from 1 April 1992. The strength figures as between May 1979 and 31 March 1992 are:

Increase in establishment 1979 to 1992 Increase in strength 1979 to 1992
Avon and Somerset 234 252
Bedfordshire 231 193
Cambridgeshire 149 179
Cheshire 115 87
Cleveland 91 130
Cumbria 99 115
Derbyshire 141 119
Devon and Cornwall 255 231
Dorset 138 149
Durham 40 77
Dyfed-Powys 35 34
Essex 425 408
Gloucestershire 68 93
Increase in establishment 1979 to 1992 Increase in strength 1979 to 1992
Greater Manchester 342 621
Gwent 35 38
Hampshire 315 256
Hertfordshire 151 240
Humberside 95 165
Kent 316 344
Lancashire 111 105
Leicestershire 147 144
Lincolnshire 24 21
Merseyside 255 180
Norfolk 181 185
Northamptonshire 240 249
Northumbria 288 179
North Wales 90 78
North Yorkshire 90 61
Nottinghamshire 199 211
South Wales 99 223
South Yorkshire 279 448
Staffordshire 149 196
Suffolk 145 141
Surrey 74 264
Sussex 212 225
Thames Valley 815 1,119
Warwickshire 144 147
West Mercia 219 282
West Midlands 468 910
West Yorkshire 191 348
Wiltshire 159 220
City of London 1 -224 -24
Metropolitan Police 1,733 5,974
1 The authorised establishment was reduced at request of the City of London Police in 1983.