Police Recruitment

HC Deb 08 January 2001 vol 360 cc411-2W

19. Sir Sydney Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on police recruitment in Greater London. [142662]

Mr. Straw

I meet regularly with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to discuss policing issues. Metropolitan police recruitment was one of the matters discussed at our meeting on 7 December.

Home Office Statistical Bulletin 23/00 "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" published on 14 December and modified on 22 December gives details of recruitment and wastage from all forces, including the Metropolitan police, between 1 April and 30 November 2000. 1 understand that in October and November the Metropolitan police recruited 141 and 151 officers respectively, including transfers in. In the same months wastage, including transfers out, was 118 and 102 officers.

25. Dr. Harris

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the difficulties in recruiting and retaining officers in Thames Valley police. [142668]

Mr. Charles Clarke

I have received representations from an MP and my officials have received representations from the force. Both representations concerned the difficulties the force has been experiencing in recruiting officers and in retaining officers.

We know that some forces are experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining officers. We have provided funding through the crime fighting fund (CFF) for additional recruits this year and in the next two years. There is flexibility within the CFF for forces experiencing difficulty to defer part of their allocation of recruits from 2000–01 to 2001–02.

To help forces meet their recruitment targets the first-ever national recruitment campaign was launched on 30 August.

The Home Secretary agreed to increase from 1 July 2000, by £3,327 per annum, the London allowance for officers in the Metropolitan police service and City of London police who joined on or after 1 September 1994 and receive no housing allowance. The Police Negotiating Board is currently looking at whether there should be an allowance for officers in any other forces and the Home Secretary awaits any recommendations it may make on this or any other issues in relation to police pay and allowances.