HC Deb 18 December 2001 vol 377 cc231-5W
Mr. Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) police officers and (b) civilian

Police strength
Full-time equivalent
Strength Change—Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 30 September 2000 31 March 2001 30 September 2001 March 1997 to September 2001 September 2000 to September 2001
North East 6,597 6,820 6,859 6,927 330 107
Cleveland 1,459 1,421 1,407 1,434 -25 13
Durham 1,461 1,581 1,595 1,600 140 19
Northumbria 3,677 3,818 3,857 3,893 216 75
North West 17,588 17,110 17,296 17,514 -74 404
Cheshire 2,046 2,000 2,002 2,021 -25 21
Cumbria 1,144 1,048 1,048 1,075 -69 27
Greater Manchester 6,922 6,767 6,909 7,036 114 269
Lancashire 3,247 3,215 3,255 3,288 41 74
Merseyside 4,230 4,081 4,081 4,095 -135 14
Yorkshire and the Humber 11,750 11,189 11,234 11,463 -287 274
Humberside 2,045 1,905 1,917 1,991 -54 86
North Yorkshire 1,338 1,293 1,305 1,390 52 97
South Yorkshire 3,159 3,184 3,197 3,223 64 39
West Yorkshire 5,209 4,806 4,815 4,859 -350 53
East Midlands 8,436 8,350 8,490 8,550 114 200
Derbyshire 1,791 1,780 1,823 1,851 60 71
Leicestershire 1,949 2,010 2,032 2,062 113 52
Lincolnshire 1,196 1,162 1,202 1,184 -12 22
Northamptonshire 1,177 1,166 1,157 1,180 3 14
Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,232 2,275 2,273 -50 41
West Midlands 12,290 12,324 12,429 12,474 184 150
Staffordshire 2,211 2,157 2,129 2,119 -92 -38
Warwickshire 926 912 926 930 4 18
West Mercia 2,040 1,906 1,951 1,994 -46 88
West Midlands 7,113 7,350 7,423 7,432 319 82
Eastern 9,727 9,554 9,703 9,762 35 208
Bedfordshire 1,094 1,006 1,036 1,050 -44 44
Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,266 1,296 1,350 48 84

staff there are (i) in total and (ii) for each police force in England and Wales at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [23919]

Mr. Denham

The tables show, for March 1997, September 2000, March 2001 and September 2001 total numbers of police officers and civilian staff for each police authority area in England and Wales, together with changes in numbers since March 1997 and September 2000.

On 30 September 2001 total police numbers, including secondments, in England and Wales were 127,231 an increase of 2,645 or 2.1 per cent., compared with the end of September 2000. This is the largest annual increase in police numbers since 1980–81.

Between 30 September 2000 and 30 September 2001 the number of civilian support staff increased by 2,788, or 5.2 per cent., to 56,644.

In total, there were 183,875 police officers and civilian support staff compared with 180,169 in March 1997.

The substantial investment we are putting into the police service is delivering the improvements that we promised. We are on track to meet our target of record police numbers by April 2002 and 130,000 officers by spring 2003.

Following concern about the quality of data in previous police personnel statistics publications, we established a task force to review the data requirement. The report of the task force proposes a comprehensive revision to the current requirements on police personnel statistics. Following consultation with the police service we will implement the necessary changes from September 2002.

Police strength
Full-time equivalent
Strength Change—Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 30 September 2000 31 March 2001 30 September 2001 March 1997 to September 2001 September 2000 to September 2001
Essex1 2,961 2,818 2,897 2,937 -24 119
Hertfordshire1 1,759 1,961 1,922 1,843 84 -118
Norfolk 1,432 1,387 1,420 1,436 4 49
Suffolk 1,180 1,115 1,133 1,146 -34 31
London 27,536 25,414 25,581 26,074 -1,462 660
City of London 859 719 703 699 -160 -20
Metropolitan police1 26,677 24,695 24,878 25,374 -1,303 679
South East 15,111 15,349 15,381 15,378 267 29
Hampshire 3,452 3,437 3,438 3,449 -3 12
Kent 3,260 3,239 3,319 3,367 107 128
Surrey1 1,620 2,113 2,066 2,018 398 -95
Sussex 3,085 2,812 2,855 2,837 -248 25
Thames Valley 3,695 3,748 3,703 3,708 13 -40
South West 9,424 9,354 9,576 9,693 269 339
Avon and Somerset> 2,989 2,941 2,994 3,040 51 99
Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,873 2,934 2,972 108 100
Dorset 1,284 1,299 1,354 1,360 76 61
Gloucestershire 1,133 1,142 1,173 1,169 36 27
Wiltshire 1,154 1,099 1,120 1,152 -2 53
Wales 6,592 6,738 6,927 7,134 542 396
Dyfed Powys 1,005 1,045 1,055 1,098 94 53
Gwent 1,243 1,271 1,274 1,303 60 32
North Wales 1,369 1,393 1,444 1,491 122 98
South Wales 2,976 3,029 3,154 3,241 265 212
England and Wales2 125,051 122,203 123,476 124,969 -82 2,766
Total secondments 2,107 2,383 2,206 2,261 154 -122
Total3 127,158 124,586 125,682 127,231 73 2,645
1 As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
2 Excluding secondments
3 Including secondments

Note:

Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals

Civilian staff (excluding traffic wardens)
Full-time equivalent
Strength Change—Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 30 September 2000 31 March 2001 30 September 2001 March 1997 to September 2001 September 2000 to September 2001
North East 2,557 2,583 2,496 2,562 5 -21
Cleveland 609 598 586 604 -5 6
Durham 583 573 566 612 29 39
Northumbria 1,365 1,413 1,344 1,346 -19 -67
North West 6,267 7,007 7,066 7,394 1,127 387
Cheshire 735 870 833 857 122 -13
Cumbria 451 505 588 612 161 107
Greater Manchester 2,612 2,845 2,858 3,027 415 182
Lancashire 1,126 1,351 1,369 1,409 283 58
Merseyside 1,343 1,437 1,418 1,489 146 52
Yorkshire and the Humber 4,762 4,923 4,939 5,221 459 298
Humberside 718 783 808 802 84 19
North Yorkshire 519 533 591 677 158 144
South Yorkshire 1,291 1,399 1,312 1,446 156 47
West Yorkshire 2,234 2,208 2,228 2,296 62 88
East Midlands 3,555 4,039 3,855 3,914 359 -125
Derbyshire 723 865 875 874 151 9
Leicestershire 755 808 686 691 -64 -117
Lincolnshire 521 554 561 581 60 27
Northamptonshire 554 648 694 745 192 97
Nottinghamshire 1,003 987 1,039 1,023 20 36
West Midlands 4,819 5,132 5,261 5,463 644 331
Staffordshire 763 897 935 950 188 53
Warwickshire 376 388 412 428 52 40
West Mercia 942 1,026 1,095 1,192 250 166
West Midlands 2,739 2,821 2,819 2,893 155 72

Civilian staff (excluding traffic wardens)
Full-time equivalent
Strength Change—Number
GOR/police force 31 March 1997 30 September 2000 31 March 2001 30 September 2001 March 1997 to September 2001 September 2000 to September 2001
Eastern 4,234 4,699 4,802 5,097 863 398
Bedfordshire 484 488 491 512 28 24
Cambridgeshire 607 543 614 668 61 125
Essex1 1,199 1,472 1,447 1,509 310 38
Hertfordshire1 818 948 935 990 172 42
Norfolk 603 651 694 759 156 108
Suffolk 522 592 621 659 137 67
London 13,840 10,382 10,273 10,469 -3,371 87
City of London 347 235 233 229 -118 -6
Metropolitan police1 13,493 10,147 10,040 10,240 -3,253 93
South East 6,399 7,292 7,462 7,957 1,558 665
Hampshire 1,316 1,467 1,424 1,507 191 40
Kent 1,384 1,670 1,796 2,022 638 352
Surrey1 111 865 897 957 230 92
Sussex 1,149 1,405 1,454 1,506 357 101
Thames Valley 1,825 1,890 1,891 1,965 140 75
South West 4,122 4,581 4,715 4,951 829 370
Avon and Somerset 1,438 1,437 1,452 1,531 93 94
Devon and Cornwall 1,159 1,391 1,453 1,516 357 125
Dorset 615 681 682 721 106 40
Gloucestershire 435 498 506 533 98 35
Wiltshire 475 574 622 650 175 76
Wales 2,455 2,686 2,706 2,829 374 143
Dyfed Powys 322 393 401 438 116 45
Gwent 452 490 537 564 112 74
North Wales 476 511 498 559 84 48
South Wales 1,206 1,293 1,270 1,268 63 -25
England and Wales2,3 53,011 53,147 53,573 55,856 2,845 2,709
Total secondments n/a 708 765 789 n/a 81
Total3,4 53,011 53,856 54,338 56,644 3,633 2,788
1As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
2Excluding secondments
3 In the March 1997 figures, civilian secondments were counted within the civilian figures for the forces from which they were seconded. The increase in civilians between March 1997 and September 2001 take account of this.
4 Including secondments

Note:

Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals

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