§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers serving with(a) the Metropolitan police force, (b) the south-east 597W regional crime squad and (c) National Criminal Intelligence Service are currently suspended (1) on full pay and (2) without pay; and how many of those suspended have been suspended for (i) less than one month, (ii) between one and three months, (iii) between three and six months, (iv) between six and nine months, (v) between nine and 12 months, (vi) between 12 months and two years and (vii) more than two years. [6690]
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 2 December 1996]Police officers who may have committed a disciplinary or criminal offence may be suspended by a chief officer. Officers are suspended on full pay except where they may be detained in pursuance of a sentence of a court or are in custody between conviction of a court and sentence, or in circumstances where they may have absented themselves from duty and their whereabouts are unknown to the chief officer.
Table 1 gives details of the numbers of Metropolitan police officers, including those attached to the south-east regional crime squad, who are currently suspended, and the length of the suspension. All are on full pay. No officers attached to the National Criminal Intelligence Service are currently suspended.
Table 1: Officers suspended from the Metropolitan police 1990 to 1996 Rank 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 so far Metropolitan police Police constable 37 60 54 56 33 36 42 Detective constable 7 8 3 7 3 11 6 Sergeant 8 3 10 4 3 6 3 Detective sergeant 1 0 0 17 2 4 1 Inspector 2 1 0 0 0 3 1 Detective inspector 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Chief inspector 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Detective chief inspector 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Superintendent 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 Total 56 75 68 167 42 61 53 South-East regional crime squad Detective constable 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 Detective sergeant 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Acting detective inspector 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Total 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 1Includes one officer who when suspended was attached to NCIS.