§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies there were for police officers in the Devon and Cornwall constabulary in(a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [155738]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe information has been provided by the Chief Constable and is set out in the table. It compares the actual number of officers in post with the police authority's budgeted provision. The number of funded police posts has not been increased due to civilianisation of support posts that were previously filled by police officers. Between December 1992 and 31 January 2001 civilian support staff numbers in Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have increased by 380 to 1,428.
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Year Number of funded police posts Actual number of police officers1 Vacancies December 1992 2,928 2,915 13 March 1997 2,929 2,865 64 January 2001 2,928 2,927 1 1 Before 1 April 1995 police numbers were counted on head basis. Since April 1995 they have been counted on a full-time equivalent basis.
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies for policemen and policewomen there were in Hampshire in(a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [157821]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeInformation for the years in question is set out in the table. The data for 1992 are taken from Home Office records. Following the abolition of
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Police recruits beginning residential training Region Force Recruits starting residential training 1999–2000 Recruits starting residential training 2000–01 Change (Number) Change (Percentage) East Midlands Region 253 530 277 109.5 Derbyshire 59 100 41 69.5 Leicestershire 83 107 24 28.9 Lincolnshire 24 115 91 379.2 Northamptonshire 16 75 59 368.8 Nottinghamshire 71 133 62 87.3 Eastern Region 318 628 310 97.5 Bedfordshire 33 74 41 124.2 Cambridgeshire 24 126 102 425.0 Essex 68 180 112 164.7 Hertfordshire 148 110 -38 -25.7 Norfolk 30 82 52 173.3 Suffolk 15 56 41 273.3 London 988 1,281 293 29.7 City of London 0 28 28 N/A Metropolitan police 988 1,253 265 26.8 North East Region 193 377 184 95.3 Cleveland 43 79 36 83.7 Durham 45 76 31 68.9 Northumbria 105 222 117 111.4 North West Region 441 825 384 87.1 Cheshire 23 80 57 247.8 Cumbria 19 30 11 57.9 GMP 273 386 113 41.4 Lancashire 87 164 77 88.5 Merseyside 39 165 126 323.1 police establishments in 1995, it became a matter for police authorities and chief constables to decide on police numbers. For 1997 and 2001 the information on vacancies has been provided by the Chief Constable.
Between 31 March 1992 and 31 January 2001 civilian support staff numbers in Hampshire Constabulary increased 352 to 1,404 (88 of the increase has been since March 1997).
Hampshire Constabulary Year Budgeted police strength1 Actual strength1 Vacancies 31 March 1992 3,202 3,206 0 (+4) 31 March 1997 3,486 3,452 34 31 January 2001 23,573 3,451 122 1 Before 1 April 1995 police numbers were counted on head basis. Since April 1995 they have been counted on a full-time equivalent basis. 2 The Budgeted police strength figure for January 2001 includes Crime Fighting Fund posts (82 posts).