§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) dog handlers and (b) dogs were in the police service in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000. [145546]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 15 January 2001]: This information is not held centrally.
The Association of Chief Police Officers police dogs sub-committee has informed me that this information was not collected in 1997 and 1999.
The numbers for 1998 and 2000 are:
Dog handlers Dogs 1998 1,996 2,447 2000 1,743 2,431