HC Deb 18 January 1999 vol 323 c329W
29. Mr. Salter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to reduce the proportion of early retirements from the police. [64378]

Mr. Boateng

Following our consultation document of last year on police pension arrangements, work is in hand on detailed proposals to improve practice in managing ill-health retirement and to support good management practice with changes to the Police Pensions Regulations where necessary. We plan to publish our proposals in the early part of this year. They will be published in advance of implementation to allow for full consultation with the interested parties.

31. Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police authority had(a) the highest and (b) the lowest rate of early retirement through sickness in the last year for which figures are available. [64380]

Mr. Boateng

In 1997–98 Derbyshire Constabulary had the highest rate of ill-health retirement among police forces in England and Wales, at 65% of all retirements. Surrey Police had the lowest, at 14%of all retirements.