HC Deb 24 July 1996 vol 282 cc611-3W
Ms Hodge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the civilianisation of posts within the Metropolitan police service. [39572]

Mr. Maclean

I understand from the Commissioner that, during the last 10 financial years, 2,592 non-operational police posts have been civilianised within the Metropolitan police.

Ms Hodge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the future role of the Metropolitan police service in undertaking the coroner's assistant duty; [39570]

(2) what estimate he has made of the annual (i) cost to the Metropolitan police service for undertaking the coroner's assistant role and (ii) the number of hours that the Metropolitan police spend on coroner's assistant duties. [39574]

Mr. Maclean

There are no plans for the Metropolitan police to withdraw from undertaking the coroner's assistant duty. A programme of civilianisation of the role of coroner's officer, releasing police officers for other operational duties, will be completed in September this year. I understand from the Commissioner that the annual cost of the coroner's assistant role is £1.6 million, representing 180,000 hours.

Ms Hodge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police vehicles were on operational duty with the Metropolitan police service in each of the last five years; and how many are currently on operational duty. [39571]

Mr. Maclean

The information in the table has been supplied by the Commissioner of Police of the Metroplitan. The figures exclude boats, trailers, instructional vehicles, industrial and agricultural equipment, air support units and other miscellaneous vehicles.

Year (as at 31 March) Operational fleet
1991 3,934
1992 4,028
1993 4,037
1994 3,948
1995 4,029
1996 4,192
Current 4,289

Mr. Rendel

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by the Metropolitan police in each of their divisions in the financial year 1995–96; how much is budgeted to be spent in each division in 1996–97; and how many full-time police officers are currently employed in each division. [39692]

Mr. Maclean

I will write to the hon. Member.

Ms Hodge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recruits from training school are being taken on by police stations in the Metropolitan police service in the current year; and how many were in each of the last five years. [39573]

Mr. Maclean

The information has been obtained from the Metropolitan police Commissioner and is given in the table.

Calendar year Number of recruits
1991 1,128
1992 877
1993 1,358
1994 1,248
1995 1,012
1996 (to date) 442