§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will reinstate the rent allowance element of serving police officers' salary packages; and if he will make a statement; [127359]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the withdrawal of the rent allowance element of salary packages on the recruitment and retention of police officers; [127357]
(3) what the average reduction is in serving police officers' remuneration following the withdrawal of the rent allowance element of salary packages. [127358]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeNo assessment has been made of the withdrawal of rent or housing allowances on the recruitment and retention of officers. Outside the Metropolitan Police Service, very few forces report a recruitment problem. Average total wastage in the police service in 1998–99 was seven per cent., which is low by standards outside the police service.
Rent allowance was replaced by housing allowance on 1 April 1990, although some officers still receive transitional rent allowance. Following the recommendations of the Sheehy Inquiry, housing allowance was abolished for new recruits and frozen for serving officers from 1 September 1994, because police officers were no longer required to live in a particular location. Entitlement to provided accommodation also ceased and the structure of starting salaries changed.
Under the Police Act 1996, the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) considers issues relating to police pay and allowances. There are no plans to reinstate rent or housing allowances but the PNB has recommended an increase in London Allowance of £3,327, from 1 July 2000, for those officers appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not in receipt of housing allowance. On 23 June my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced that he has accepted this recommendation.
It is not possible to provide a meaningful average reduction in serving police officers' remuneration following the abolition of housing allowance. Allowances paid vary between rank and force. The tables show the rates payable for housing allowance and transitional rent allowance.
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Maximum limits of transitional rent allowance—police forces in England and Wales Rates frozen from 1 April 1990 £ per annum Federated Ranks1 Superintendents and Chief Superintendents Assistant and Deputy Chief Constables Chief Constables Avon and Somerset 3,164.04 3,670.29 4,271.45 4,935.90 Bedfordshire 3,917.76 4,545.07 5,271.49 6,115.67 Cambridgeshire 3,191.69 3,702.36 4,294.74 4,981.90 Cheshire 4,039.36 4,685.66 5,435.37 6,305.03 Cleveland 3,275.02 3,799.01 4,406.86 5,111.96 Cumbria 2,869.20 3,328.32 3,860.76 4,478.52 Derbyshire 4,816.00 5,586.00 6,480.00 7,516.00 Devon and Cornwall 4,022.00 4,666.00 5,412.00 6,278.00 Dorset 3,476.43 4,032.66 4,677.88 5,426.34 Durham 2,667.00 3,093.72 3,588.72 4,162.92 Dyfed-Powys 2,322.53 2,694.13 3,125.19 3,625.22 Essex 4,867.63 5,646.45 6,549.88 7,597.86 Gloucestershire 4,130.64 4,791.24 5,557.80 6,447.12 Greater Manchester 3,571.00 4,143.00 4,821.00 5,571.00 Gwent 3,651.00 4,235.16 4,912.80 5,698.92 Hampshire 4,329.00 5,052.00 5,825.00 6,757.00 Hertfordshire 4,269.99 4,953.18 5,745.69 6,665.00 Humberside 3,752.44 4,352.90 5,049.34 5,856.90 Kent 4,438.79 5,149.00 5,972.84 6,928.49 Lancashire 3,145.20 3,648.43 4,246.02 4,906.51 Leicestershire 3,350.00 3,886.00 4,508.00 5,229.00 Lincolnshire 3,162.87 3,668.88 4,256.28 4,937.05 Merseyside 3,239.00 3,759.00 4,358.00 5,054.00 Norfolk 3,769.56 4,373.13 5,072.17 5,884.40 Northamptonshire 3,956.18 4,588.70 5,322.94 6,175.08 Northumbria 2,425.75 2,814.43 3,264.54 3,786.87 North Wales 3,153.00 3,657.00 4,242.00 4,921.00 North Yorkshire 3,212.43 3,726.53 4,322.27 5,013.74 Nottinghamshire 3,194.65 3,705.79 4,298.76 4,986.61 South Wales 3,814.30 4,424.59 5,132.52 5,953.73 South Yorkshire 3,134.69 3,636.53 4,218.19 4,893.23 Staffordshire 3,127.70 3,628.56 4,222.44 4,879.32 Suffolk 4,220.04 4,895.24 5,678.48 6,587.04 Surrey 3,911.52 4,537.32 5,280.48 6,101.88 Sussex 3,703.00 4,295.00 4,982.00 5,779.00 Thames Valley 4,687.18 5,437.34 6,306.43 7,316.38 Warwickshire 4,199.45 4,871.35 5,650.77 6,554.89 West Mercia 3,962.34 4,996.31 5,331.72 6,184.80 West Midlands 3,410.42 3,956.09 4,589.06 5,323.31 West Yorkshire 3,540.68 4,106.95 4,764.12 5,526.41 Wiltshire 4,589.88 5,324.16 6,176.04 7,164.24 1 Constable to Chief Inspector
Maximum limits of transitional rent allowance—police forces in England and Wales Rates frozen from 1 April 1990 £ per annum Federated Ranks1 Superintendents and Chief Superintendents Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Commander Deputy and Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan 5,863.65 6,802.00 7,890.00 9,153.00 City of London 5,864.00 6,802.00 7,890.00 9,153.00 1 Constable to Chief Inspector
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Standard rate housing allowance—police forces in England and Wales As at 1 April 1994 and frozen from 1 September 1994 £ per annum Federated Ranks1 Superintendents Assistant Chief Constables Chief Constables Avon and Somerset 2,374.80 2,754.76 3,206.04 3,704.64 Bedfordshire 2,876.88 3,337.20 3,883.80 4,487.93 Cambridgeshire 2,319.17 2,674.00 3,186.17 3,633.75 Cheshire 2,952.43 3,424.74 3,985.70 4,605.69 Cleveland 2,375.36 3,676.72 3,215.35 4,997.79 Cumbria 2,425.36 2,855.17 3,375.11 3,756.72
Standard rate housing allowance—police forces in England and Wales As at 1 April 1994 and frozen from 1 September 1994 £ per annum Federated Ranks1 Superintendents Assistant and Chief Constables Chief Constables Derbyshire 3,667.20 4,254.00 4,934.64 5,724.24 Devon and Cornwall 3,144.36 3,647.52 4,244.76 4,905.12 Dorset 2,582.01 2,995.13 3,485.71 4,027.93 Durham 2,072.04 2,403.60 2,797.20 3,232.32 Dyfed-Powys 2,161.34 2,507.15 2,917.79 3,371.67 Essex 4,275.60 4,867.56 6,549.84 7,543.68 Gloucestershire 3,190.40 3,700.86 4,307.04 4,977.02 Greater Manchester 2,371.98 2,751.06 3,202.09 3,700.58 Gwent 3,006.52 3,487.56 4,045.57 4,692.86 Hampshire 3,882.00 4,503.12 5,223.72 6,059.40 Hertfordshire 3,379.96 3,920.75 4,562.95 5,272.74 Humberside 2,860.24 3,317.88 3,861.34 4,461.92 Kent 3,865.85 4,484.54 5,219.33 6,030.99 Lancashire 2,096.40 2,431.92 2,830.14 3,270.38 Leicestershire 2,311.00 3,477.11 4,112.00 4,770.00 Lincolnshire 2,733.73 3,215.18 375.77 4,372.17 Merseyside 2,133.00 2,474.00 2,880.00 3,328.00 Norfolk 3,025.67 3,510.82 4,092.71 4,729.35 Northamptonshire 3,187.90 3,697.96 4,303.66 4,973.12 Northumbria 1,777.66 2,062.10 2,399.85 2,773.16 North Wales 2,361.00 2,739.00 3,187.00 3,683.00 North Yorkshire 2,510.30 2,911.96 3,388.92 3,916.08 Nottinghamshire 2,632.80 3,054.00 3,554.28 4,197.16 South Wales 3,535.10 4,100.73 4,772.38 5,514.76 South Yorkshire 2,344.89 2,719.97 3,165.47 3,657.92 Staffordshire 2,264.08 2,626.33 3,056.51 3,531.96 Suffolk 3,735.72 4,329.96 5,022.72 5,826.36 Surrey 3,438.24 3,988.32 4,641.60 5,357.28 Sussex 2,626.56 3,047.04 3,545.88 4,097.40 Thames Valley 4,022.46 4,666.04 5,430.32 6,275.05 Warwickshire 3,643.33 4,226.25 4,918.48 5,683.59 West Mercia 3,176.91 3,685.01 4,288.95 4,955.25 West Midlands 2,950.00 3,423.15 3,983.84 4,603.54 West Yorkshire 2,691.55 3,122.19 3,633.55 4,198.26 Wiltshire 3,769.44 4,372.44 5,088.60 5,880.24 1 Constable to Chief Inspector
Standard rate housing allowance—police forces in England and Wales As at 1 April 1994 and frozen from 1 September 1994 £ per annum Federated Ranks1 Superintendents Commander Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan 5,126.70 5,947.91 6,921.06 7,997.65 City of London 5,095.93 5,911.28 6,879.51 7,949.65 1 Constable to Chief Inspector