§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were per head of population in each police force and in 375W total in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.[123147]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe information requested is set out in the table in the form of population per police officer. The additional funds we are making available over the next two years to recruit 5,000 more officers over and above those that forces would otherwise have recruited should improve on the 1999 ratios.
Population per police officer for 1992, 1997 and 1999 Force As at 31 March 1992 As at 31 March 1997 As at 30 Septmeber 1999 Avon and Somerset 464 491 498 Bedfordshire 489 502 531 Cambridgeshire 536 540 566 Cheshire 516 479 481 City of London 5 6 7 Cleveland 378 382 405 Cumbria 416 429 451 Derbyshire 551 537 550 Devon and Cornwall 523 538 545 Dorset 514 531 542 Durham 435 416 391 Dyfed-Powys 496 474 457 Essex 510 511 541 Gloucestershire 459 491 507 Greater Manchester 363 372 378 Gwent 443 447 442 Hampshire 531 508 519 Hertfordshire 497 491 499 Humberside 431 434 458 Kent 501 478 484 Lancashire 440 439 443 Leicestershire 483 476 465 Lincolnshire 496 515 561 Merseyside 312 336 346 Metropolitan Police 259 284 297 Norfolk 537 543 572 Northamptonshire 507 513 545 Northumbria 414 390 375 North Wales 486 479 470 North Yorkshire 516 549 573 Nottinghamshire 436 444 463 South Wales 415 414 415 South Yorkshire 430 413 412 Staffordshire 481 477 481 Suffolk 544 561 578 Surrey 450 479 457 Sussex 479 477 515 Thames Valley 523 559 560 Warwickshire 495 541 553 West Mercia 540 547 574 West Midlands 377 371 360 West Yorkshire 406 405 434 Wiltshire 471 514 527 Total for England and Wales 406 414 426
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) police officers and (b) officers per head of population there were (i) per police force and (ii) in England and Wales on 31 March; and if he will make a statement.[123226]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 15 May 2000,Official Report, columns 59–60W.
376W
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the change in the total number of police officers was in Hertfordshire between(a) 1992 and 1997 and (b) 1997 and the latest date for which figures are available, taking into account border changes with the Metropolitan police.[123154]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe change in the total number of police officers available for ordinary duty in Hertfordshire Constabulary between 31 March 1992 and 31 March 1997 was an increase of 64, from 1,695 to 1,759.
The change from 31 March 1997 to 30 September 1999, the most recent date for which figures are available was an increase of one, from 1,759 to 1,760.
The boundary changes for the Metropolitan Police District came into effect on 1 April 2000. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that 182 police officers have been seconded from the Metropolitan Police Service to Hertfordshire Constabulary for periods of up to two years.
The Commissioner also informs me that historical information on Metropolitan Police Divisional Staffing is unavailable.