§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of police numbers in Hampshire. [70065]
§ Mr. BoatengMy right hon. Friend has made no assessment of police numbers in the Hampshire Constabulary. Under legislation passed by the previous Government in 1994, it is for the chief constable to determine the number of police officers in the force, within the resources available to him or her.
In its latest annual report on police performance, published on 28 January, the Audit Commission concluded that success in solving crime does not depend solely on numbers of police officers available.