HC Deb 11 December 2000 vol 359 cc62-3W
Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the level of police morale in England and Wales. [141401]

Mr. Charles Clarke

There is no single or precise measure of police morale. In any service one will find some people who are happy about their work and others who are less than happy.

The number of people leaving a profession may be taken as an indicator of morale. Total wastage from the police service is very low. Figures for the last four years are given in the table. As total wastage includes ordinary retirements of officers who have completed 30 years service, the table also shows the number of voluntary resignations from the service.

Number
Total police strength at 31 March 19961 126,901
Total police strength at 31 March 19971 127,158
Total police strength at 31 March 19981 126,814
Total police strength at 31 March 19991 126,096
1 Full time equivalents

Total wastage1 Resignations1
Number Percentage of total strength Number Percentage of total strength
1996–97 5,951 4.7 774 0.6
1997–98 6,657 5.2 988 0.8
1998–99 6,104 4.8 1,083 0.9
1999–2000 5,948 4.7 1,236 1.0
1 Number of persons

Comparative figures for the Civil Service are as follows:

Number
Total Civil Service strength at 1 April 19951 474,880
Total Civil Service strength at 1 April 19961 458,660
Total Civil Service strength at 1 April 19971 439,310
1 Full time equivalents

1995–96 1996–97 1997–98
Total wastage1
Number 43,680 47,900 35,070
Percentage of total strength 9.2 10.4 8.0
Resignations1
Percentage of total strength 2.4 2.6 3.2
1 Headcount

Days lost to sickness may also be an indicator of morale. In 1996–97 the average number of days sickness per police officer was 12.80. This declined to 11.55 or by 1.25 days per officer by 1999–2000.

Pay rates may also have an effect on morale. According to the New Earnings Survey, at April 2000 average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees in Great Britain were:

  • £464.70 for non-manual workers in the whole economy
  • £485.20 for non-manual workers in the private sector
  • £428.80 for non-manual public sector workers
  • £438.10 for non-manual workers in local government
  • £499.30 for local authority teachers
  • £541.80 for the police.