Police (Avon and Somerset) (Hansard, 9 February 2001)

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of recent changes in the number of places in police houses in the Avon and Somerset area on his policy on police recruitment; and if he will make a statement. [148737]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
Changes to the number of police houses in a police force area are matters for the police authority and chief constable to decide. We expect police authorities and chief constables to achieve best value in the use of the capital resources available to them and to make decisions about those resources in the light of all relevant considerations.
Avon and Somerset constabulary recruited 89 officers in the six months to 30 September 2000 and continues to recruit successfully. The force has been allocated 195 recruits from the crime fighting fund (CFF) over the three years 2000–01 to 2002–03 and it expects to recruit its full allocation of 67 crime fighting fund recruits in 2000–01, over and above previously planned recruitment.

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of officers(a) recruited by, (b) resigning from and (c) retiring from the Avon and Somerset police force in each year since 1978–79. [148740]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
It is not possible to provide information on recruitment and wastage on an individual force basis before the computerisation of the police number database in 1991–92, because of the way in which information on police numbers was previously collected and stored by the Department.
The information in the table is for each year since 1991.

Avon and Somerset constabulary—numbers recruited, resigned and retired since 1991

Year Number of officers recruited Number of officers who resigned Number of officers who retired

1991¹ 133 30 88

1992¹ 95 15 94

1993¹ 123 20 129

1994–95² 154 17 184

1995–96 55 8 97

1996–97 174 12 132

1997–98 138 22 124

1998–99 142 14 80

1999–2000 104 21 104

2000–01³ 89 8 49

¹ Prior to 1995–96 police numbers were collected on a calender year basis rather than a financial year basis

² Figures for 1994–95 cover the period 1 January 1994 to 31 March 1995

³ Figures for 2000–01 are for the period 1 April to 30 September 2000

Avon and Somerset constabulary—numbers recruited, resigned and retired since 1991
Year	Number of officers recruited	Number of officers who resigned	Number of officers who retired
1991¹	133	30	88
1992¹	95	15	94
1993¹	123	20	129
1994–95²	154	17	184
1995–96	55	8	97
1996–97	174	12	132
1997–98	138	22	124
1998–99	142	14	80
1999–2000	104	21	104
2000–01³	89	8	49
¹ Prior to 1995–96 police numbers were collected on a calender year basis rather than a financial year basis
² Figures for 1994–95 cover the period 1 January 1994 to 31 March 1995
³ Figures for 2000–01 are for the period 1 April to 30 September 2000