§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement reconciling the figures for numbers of North Yorkshire police in(a) the answer of the Minister of State, Home Office, the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), of 18 January 2001, Official Report, column 352W, and (b) the recent press statement made by North Yorkshire Police Authority. [148953]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeAt 30 September 2000 North Yorkshire police had 1,293 officers.
The Chief Constable of North Yorkshire police has advised me that for March 2002 the force projects that it will have increased its numbers to 1,420 police officers. This figure was announced by the force in its press statement of 9 January.
This increase includes 43 officers to be recruited through the Crime Fighting Fund. 60 officers to be recruited through the Rural Policing Fund, the remainder being part of normal planned force recruitment.