§ Mr. Brian JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for Staffordshire police force the(a) number of serving officers, (b) number 186W (2) if he will list the annual number of hoax calls to the fire service in each of the last five years (a) in Bolton, (b) in the north-west and (c) nationally indicating the approximate cost of each call-out; and if he will make a statement. [34409]
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on the number of times the police attend a hoax call and on the cost of so doing is not available centrally. The readily available information on malicious false alarm incidents attended by local authority fire brigades in the north-west and the United Kingdom is shown in the table. Information on cost is not collected centrally.
of officers on the beat, (c) average police pay in real terms and (d) cost of the service in real terms for each year since 1979. [34346]
§ Mr. MacleanInformation on the number of serving officers is set out in table 1. Information on the number of officers specifically assigned to beat duties is not available. Estimates of the number of offices on patrol duties are available from 1989 and are also set out in table 1.
Information on average police pay and total force expenditure is available only from 1988–90 and is set out in table 2.
187W
Staffordshire police Total force strength and number of patrol officers Police strength Patrol strength1 Month/year All ranks Year2 Number of officers April 1979 1,980 — — March 1980 2,051 — — March 1981 2,096 — — March 1982 2,086 — — March 1983 2,080 — — March 1984 2,090 — — March 1985 2,066 — — March 1986 2,087 — — March 1987 2,113 — — March 1988 2,135 — — March 1989 2,164 — — March 1990 2,187 1989 1,278 March 1991 2,217 1990 1,300 March 1992 2,176 1991 1,091 March 1993 2,179 1992 1,304 March 1994 2,208 1993 1,234 March 1995 2,231 31994–95 1,314 March 1996 2,209 41995–96 1,302 1 Based on returns provided by police forces, showing officers who spend more than 50 per cent. of their time on patrol duties. These include foot, car, beat and dog patrol, and mounted officers. 2 Collected per calendar year—as at 31 December each year. 3 The basis of collection changed in 1994 to the financial year. Figures now taken as at 31 March. 4 Provisional.
Staffordshire police Total expenditure and average pay and allowance per police officer (at 1995–96 prices) Year Total force expenditure £ Average pay and allowances per officer1 £ 1988–89 81,550,0002 24,298 1989–90 84,499,0002 24,665 1990–91 93,196,000 26,780 1991–92 96,446,000 27,335 1992–93 99,778,000 27,644 1993–94 103,652,000 27,487 1994–95 105,514,000 27,777 1995–96 106,681,0003 n/a 1996–97 111,128,0003 n/a 1 Estimated by dividing total pay and allowance expenditure by total police strength as shown in Table 1. 2 Excludes capital and loan charges expenditure (information not readily available). 3 Estimated expenditure.