§ Mr. FabricantTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) uniformed police constables, (b) uniformed police sergeants, (c) uniformed police officers above the rank of sergeant, (d) police detective constables, (e) police detective sergeants and (f) police detectives above the rank of sergeant, there were in the Staffordshire constabulary (i) in May 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [148154]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 7 February 2001]: Information on police service personnel numbers is collected twice a year in March and September. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary collects information annually on 31 March about the number of officers deployed to different functions.
The information on detective numbers has been provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate. The inspectorate made changes to its classification system for different police functions in 1999–2000. It is not therefore possible to identify from the new classification the number of officers that would have been classified as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the old rules and who are now recorded under other classifications. The change in classification accounts for some of the reduction in CID strength. The information in the tables has therefore been provided on the basis of non-CID officer numbers and CID officer numbers for March 1997 and March 2000.
Staffordshire police (i) Non-CID officers (full-time equivalent) 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 Constables 1,415.5 1,518.7 Sergeants 285.2 289.2 Other ranks 157 131
Staffordshire police (ii) CID officers (full-time equivalent) 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 Constables 268.4 153.6 Sergeants 59 45.8 Other ranks 26 19