HC Deb 05 December 1995 vol 268 cc202-4W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were in post (a) in England and (b) in each county of EnglandIn each year since 1990. [2899]

Police strength in England between 1990 and 1995
As at 31 December
Police force 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 11995
Avon and Somerset 3,059 3,072 3,065 3,034 3,017 2,986
Bedfordshire 1,064 1,090 1,119 1,168 1,113 1,116
Cambridgeshire 1,186 1,239 1,265 1,266 1,268 1,254
Cheshire 1,898 1,867 1,901 1,873 1,906 1,950
City of London 796 809 805 884 887 869
Cleveland 1,485 1,477 1,492 1,414 1,435 1,430
Cumbria 1,189 1,183 1,197 1,185 1,185 1,143
Derbyshire 1,751 1,706 1,810 1,790 1,793 1,762
Devon and Cornwall 2,867 2,876 2,920 2,908 2,878 2,872
Dorset 1,272 1,280 1,318 1,292 1,287 1,272
Durham 1,364 1,378 1,377 1,389 1,356 1,376
Essex 2,884 2,878 2,917 2,947 2,921 2,897
Gloucestershire 1,158 1,178 1,148 1,140 1,167 1,142
Greater Manchester 7,010 6,975 7,055 7,047 6,984 7,026
Hampshire 3,170 3,177 3,287 3,270 3,252 3,307
Hertfordshire 1,659 1,679 1,688 1,679 1,686 1,704
Humberside 1,989 2,016 2,033 2,028 2,042 2,025
Kent 2,988 3,039 3,106 3,182 3,116 3,100
Lancashire 3,199 3,205 3,209 3,140 3,194 3,195
Leicestershire 1,784 1,808 1,834 1,838 1,838 1,860
Lincolnshire 1,205 1,198 1,191 1,203 1,208 1,164
Merseyside 4,679 4,605 4,656 4,663 4,678 4,536
Metropolitan Police 28,152 28,126 27,812 27,605 27,611 27,395
Norfolk 1,394 1,419 1,426 1,434 1,408 1,391
Northamptonshire 1,144 1,156 1,203 1,181 1,171 1,160
Northumbria 3,528 3,460 3,586 3,589 3,595 3,610
North Yorkshire 1,379 1,382 1,408 1,333 1,313 1,310
Nottinghamshire 2,342 2,334 2,329 2,337 2,331 2,314
South Yorkshire 2,984 2,989 3,000 3,015 3,026 3,041
Staffordshire 2,193 2,185 2,172 2,202 2,214 2,190
Suffolk 1,195 1,203 1,237 1,216 1,204 1,158
Surrey 1,654 1,681 1,674 1,667 1,672 1,656
Sussex 2,984 2,969 2,980 2,977 2,924 3,020
Thames Valley 3,706 3,722 3,833 3,894 3,878 3,760
Warwickshire 1,014 1,005 1,002 1,025 1,036 982
West Mercia 2,022 2,028 2,060 2,056 2,037 2,008
West Midlands 6,881 6,893 6,952 6,968 6,996 7,078
West Yorkshire 5,276 5,143 5,070 4,988 5,037 5,122
Wiltshire 1,157 1,212 1,262 1,273 1,256 1,236
Total for England 118,661 118,642 119,399 119,100 118,920 118,422
1As at 30 September 1995, the latest available figures.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the total number of police officers in service at present; and what is the starting date of the three-year period for the recruitment of additional police officers; [4032]

(2) what is the date and number of police officers which forms the base on which the additional officers will be recruited in pursuance of the Prime Minister's recent announcement. [4023]

Mr. Maclean

As at 31 March 1995 the total number of police officers in England and Wales was 127,222. The basis on which the additional funding for the extra officers is to be built will be the total police strength in forces at 31 March 1996. Funding for the additional officers announced by the Prime Minister will be available from 1 April 1996.

Mr.Maclean

The information is set out in the table below:

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional officers the Government expect police forces to recruit in 1996–97. [4024]

Mr. Maclean

This is a matter for chief constables and police authorities. An extra £20 million has been available in 1996–97. This is sufficient to enable chief constables to recruit 1,000 additional officers by the end of 1996–97 if they choose to do so.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost, over the next three financial years, of recruiting 5,000 additional officers to the police service in England and Wales. [4025]

Mr. Maclean

A total of £180 million—£20 million, £60 million, and £100 million—is being made available over the next three financial years. This is sufficient provision to enable chief constables to recruit 5,000 more constables over the period.