§ Mr. GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he had made, at the time of his announcement of 16,000 police recruits on 30 September, of the number of officers who would leave the service over the next three years. [97234]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 4 November 1999]: It is not possible to make such a projection. This is because of the uncertainty surrounding the number of officers who take early retirement on medical grounds or who leave the service before normal retirement age for other reasons. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given 369W by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) on 29 October 1999, Official Report, column 1023.