§ Ms Janet AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has that beat patrolling by police constables has suffered as a result of greater emphasis on panda car patrols. [1673]
§ Mr. MacleanThere needs to be a balance between foot and mobile police patrolling to meet the operational requirements of individual forces and the communities which they serve. This is a matter for chief constables to decide.
§ Ms AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed on the beat at any one time, per head of population. [1677]
§ Mr. MacleanThis information is not centrally collected. At the end of March 1995, 68,240 officers were deployed to patrol duties in England and Wales.