§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many(a) police officers, broken down by rank, and (b) civilian security staff are employed in (i) the Palace of Westminster and (ii) the parliamentary estate. [143597]
§ Mr. KirkwoodThe actual strength of Metropolitan police officers and civilian security officers employed within the parliamentary estate is:
Parliamentary Estate Number (a) Police officers Divisional commander 1 Superintendent 1 Inspectors 5 Sergeants 13 Constables 134 Total 154 (b) Civilian security staff Principal security officer 1 Senior security officers 12 Security officers 225 Higher executive officers 2 Executive officers 2 Administrative officers 5 Administrative assistants 1 Typists 2 Total 250 It is not possible to make a clear distinction between the Palace of Westminster and the Estate, as varied responsibilities affect the balance from day to day. In general terms, however, the majority of officers are employed within the Palace.