HC Deb 18 December 1996 vol 287 cc722-3W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the manpower of each police force in respect of(a) number of police officers and (b) number of civilian support staff on 1 November for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [8809]

Mr. Maclean

[holding answer 16 December 1996]: Information on police strength was collected at the end of each month until April 1995. Data on police service strength are now collected twice a year, March and September. Information for the last five years is in the table.

Between October 1992 and September 1996, the total number of constables in England and Wales increased by 1,692 to 98,017. This is a record high number of constables.

Police officer and civilian strength 1992 to 1996
Force 31 October 19921 31 October 19931 31 October 19941 30 September 19951 30 September 19961
Police Civilians Police Civilians Police Civilians Police Civilians Police Civilians
South Wales 3,182 1,180 3,159 1,279 3,048 1,215 2,954 1,240 2,913 1,233
South Yorkshire 3,013 986 3,022 1,211 3,030 1,283 3,041 1,292 3,128 1,398
Staffordshire 2,196 781 2,194 773 2,207 763 2,190 800 2,220 794
Suffolk 1,240 556 1,224 543 1,209 544 1,158 520 1,159 532
Surrey 1,684 650 1,663 709 1,673 721 1,656 796 1,652 793
Sussex 3,007 1,131 2,977 1,153 2,949 1,182 3,020 1,219 3,097 1,310
Thames Valley 3,843 1,603 3,886 1,647 3,887 1,767 3,760 1,913 3,682 1,972
Warwickshire 1,007 356 1,031 364 1,038 363 983 412 948 406
West Mercia 2,061 967 2,057 969 2,042 995 2,008 1,038 2,011 1,002
West Midlands 6,935 2,717 6,961 2,729 6,991 2,859 7,078 2,957 7,203 2,611
West Yorkshire 5,095 2,034 5,005 2,032 5,036 2,092 5,122 2,149 5,154 2,224
Wiltshire 1,257 523 1,272 516 1,260 501 1,236 521 1,166 514
Total 126,043 53,858 125,878 54,953 125,492 55,275 124,710 57,790 125,050 57,278
1 Strength information is collected on the last day of the month. Civilian strength includes traffic wardens.
2 Since April 1995 information on police numbers is collected only twice a year (March and September).