§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total change was in the number of police officers(a) in each force in England and Wales and (b) in total since March 1997; what estimate he has made of the (i) planned recruitment to, (ii) expected wastage from and (iii) change in police numbers in police forces, including transfers, including information provided in the bids for the Crime Fighting Fund and the allocation of Crime Fighting Fund money, (1) in total and (2) in each of the next three years; and what estimate he has made of the expected change in police numbers in each force and in total between March 1997 and the end of each of the first three years of the Crime Fighting Fund; and if he will make a statement. [114700]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 14 March 2000]: Table A shows the total change in the number of police officers in each force in England and Wales and in total from March 1997 to September 1999.
In respect of the figures for projected recruitment and wastage including transfers I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 21 February 2000, Official Report, columns 826–28W.
Table B, using figures taken from forces' bids under the Crime Fighting Fund, shows the balance of forces' projected wastage against forces' projected recruitment, including inter-force transfers. On the basis of these theoretical projections, supplemented by the additional 5,000 officers allocated to forces under the Crime Fighting Fund on 9 February, at the end of the three year scheme there should be around 1,100 more officers in the police service than there were at the start of the scheme.
Table C shows actual and projected total police numbers between March 1997 and 2003; I must stress that the latter are projections only and are subject to a range of variables. Actual recruitment levels will depend on chief officers' decisions in the light of the available resources—including the outcome of the 2000 Spending Review now under way.
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Table A: Police strength for ordinary duty in England and Wales Actual Strength1 Police force March 1997 September 1999 Change Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,989 0 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,048 -45 Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,272 -30 Cheshire 2,046 2,044 -2 City of London 859 745 -114 Cleveland 1,459 1,373 -87
Table A: Police strength for ordinary duty in England and Wales Actual Strength1 Police force March 1997 September 1999 Change Cumbria 1,144 1,903 -51 Derbyshire 1,791 1,764 -27 Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,861 -3 Dorset 1,284 1,276 -8 Durham 1,461 1,555 +94 Dyfed Powys 1,005 1,049 +44 Essex 2,961 2,835 -126 Gloucestershire 1,133 1,098 -35 Greater Manchester 6,922 6,810 -111 Gwent 1,243 1,261 +18 Hampshire 3,452 3,411 -41 Hertfordshire 1,759 1,760 +1 Humberside 2,045 1,926 -119 Kent 3,260 3,257 -3 Lancashire 3,247 3,221 -26 Leicestershire 1,949 1,998 +49 Lincolnshire 1,196 1,111 -86 Merseyside 4,230 4,071 -160 Metropolitan Police 26,677 25,884 -793 Norfolk 1,432 1,382 -50 Northamptonshire 1,177 1,130 -47 Northumbria 3,677 3,800 +123 North Wales 1,369 1,399 +30 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,294 -44 Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,227 -96 South Wales 2,976 2,983 +7 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,165 +6 Staffordshire 2,211 2,206 -5 Suffolk 1,180 1,160 -20 Surrey 1,620 1,721 +102 Sussex 3,085 2,909 -176 Thames Valley 3,695 3,750 +55 Warwickshire 926 916 -10 West Mercia 2,040 1,979 -61 West Midlands 7,113 7,296 +184 West Yorkshire 5,209 4,873 -336 Wiltshire 1,154 1,150 -4 Total all forces 125,051 123,050 -2,002 1 Full-time equivalents Note:
Figures exclude secondments
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Table B: Police Officer projected recruitment less projected wastage, including inter-force transfers Balance wastage/recruitment 1 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Total Avon and Somerset -30 -16 -16 -62 Bedfordshire 0 1 -8 -7 Cambridgeshire 48 0 0 48 Cheshire -4 -10 -25 -39 City of London -4 0 0 -4 Cleveland 12 0 0 12 Cumbria -58 -3 -3 -64 Derbyshire -37 -1 -17 -55 Devon and Cornwall -30 -20 -10 -60 Dorset -8 -1 -1 -10 Durham 0 0 0 0 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 Essex 88 0 0 88 Gloucestershire 57 23 23 103 Greater Manchester -39 -5- -5- -49 Gwent -62 28 0 -34 Hampshire 25 0 0 25 Hertfordshire 14 14 14 42 Humberside -95 -100 -86 -281 Kent -10 -85 -10 -105
Table B: Police Officer projected recruitment less projected wastage, including inter-force transfers Balance wastage/recruitment 1 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Total Lancashire -18 -16 -32 -66 Leicestershire -4 0 0 -4 Lincolnshire 4 0 0 4 Merseyside -110 -120 -130 -360 Metropolitan -693 -939 -585 -2,217 Norfolk -24 -23 -24 -71 North Wales 0 0 0 0 North Yorkshire 13 10 11 34 Northamptonshire -14 -14 -14 -42 Northumbria 17 3 3 23 Nottinghamshire 14 0 0 14 South Wales 48 18 18 84 South Yorkshire -21 -21 -18 -60 Staffordshire -78 -50 -11 -139 Suffolk -37 -14 -1 -52 Surrey 15 0 0 15 Sussex -25 -25 -25 -75 Thames Valley -4 -26 -49 -79 Warwickshire -3 -6 -4 -13 West Mercia -34 -40 0 -74 West Midlands -5 -5 -5 -15 West Yorkshire -85 -105 -93 -283 Wiltshire -9 -17 -13 -39 Total -1,186 -1,565 -1,116 -3,867 1 Figures supplied by forces in their bids under the crime Note:
Fighting Fund including inter-force transfers but excluding CFF recruits
Table C: Changes in police numbers: 1997–2003 March Total Actual March 1997 127,158 March 1998 126,814 March 1999 126,096 Estimated March 2000 124,800 Projected March 2001 124,500 March 2002 125,000 March 2003 125,900 Note:
Figures include secondments and CFF recruits