§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to enable the Merseyside police authority to recruit more police officers in the years 1997 to 2000. [2472]
§ Mr. MacleanIt is for the police authority and the chief constable to determine the number of police officers in the force, having regard to the resources available to them. On the present basis of allocation, Merseyside police authority's share of the additional funds being made available for the recruitment of 5,000 extra officers in England and Wales would be sufficient for it to recruit 110 constables between April 1997 and March 1999.