HC Deb 18 January 2001 vol 361 cc378-80W
Paddy Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in England and Wales in each of the years 1978–79 to 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [144648]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The information is set out in the table. The latest available figures for 2000–01 are those for 30 September 2000. They show that police numbers at the end of September 2000 were 444 higher than in the March of that year.

With funding from the crime fighting fund— £454 million over the three years 2000–01 to 2002–03— forces will be able to recruit 9,000 police officers over and above the number they had otherwise planned to recruit in that period. This funding should enable police numbers to reach their highest ever level by 2003–04.

Police numbers 1978–79 to 2000–01
Year1 Total number of police officers
1978–79 111,133
1979–80 114,543
1980–81 118,102
1981–82 119,973
1982–83 121,003
1983–84 121,053
1984–85 120,116
1985–86 120,848
1986–87 122,236
1987–88 124,080
1988–89 125,631
1989–90 126,777
1990–91 127,495
1991–92 127,627
1992–93 128,290
1993–94 127,897
1994–95 127,222
1995–96 126,901
1996–97 127,158
1997–98 126,814
1998–99 126,096
1999–2000 124,170
20002 124,614
1 As at 31 March
2 30 September

Paddy Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in(a) Avon and Somerset and (b) the Yeovil constituency area for each quarter since September 1995; and if he will make a statement. [144616]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Police personnel statistics are collected by the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate only every six months—as at 30 September and 31 March each year. The figures are collected per force and not at constituency level. The figures available for the Avon and Somerset special constabulary from September 1995 to September 2000 are as follows:

Number
September 1995 676
March 1996 688
September 1996 662
March 1997 759
September 1997 629
March 1998 621
September 1998 584
March 1999 547
September 1999 482
March 2000 459
September 2000 416

I understand from the chief constable of Avon and Somerset that it is not possible to provide information about the numbers of special constables specifically for the Yeovil constituency area as such information is not collected. Year-end figures are available for the number of specials in post from April 1997 for the East Somerset police district, which incorporates the Yeovil constituency, and these are:

Number
April 1997 73
April 1998 101
April 1999 86
April 2000 75

Paddy Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in England and Wales in(a) March 1992 and (b) March 1997; and if he will make a statement. [144645]

Mr. Charles Clarke

On 31 March 1992, there were 127,627 police officers in England and Wales. By 31 March 1997 this had declined by 469 to 127,158 officers.

With funding from the crime fighting fund— £454 million over the three years 2000–01 to 2002–03— forces will be able to recruit 9,000 police officers over and above the number they had otherwise planned to recruit in that period. As a result, recruitment is up. 5,268 recruits entered the police training colleges in the first nine months of the current financial year compared to 3,030 in the same period in 1999–2000. And by 30 September 2000, police numbers stood at 124,614,444 higher than at the end of March that year.

Paddy Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the actual strength was of the East Somerset Division of Avon and Somerset Constabulary for each quarter since 1995; [144646]

(2) what his estimate is of the number of police officers in (a) Avon and Somerset and (b) the Yeovil constituency area for each quarter or half year, as available, since September 1995; and if he will make a statement. [144649]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The table sets out the actual number of officers in the Avon and Somerset constabulary and the East Somerset division since September 1995. Information on police numbers is available on a half-yearly basis only (March and September).

I understand from the chief constable that it is not possible to provide information about the number of officers in the Yeovil constituency as such information is not held. Although information has been provided from September 1995 for the East Somerset division, I understand from the chief constable that restructuring and changes to territorial divisions in 1997 prevent like-with-like comparisons being made with the number of officers in the East Somerset division for the periods before 1997.

Avon and Somerset constabulary
Year/month Total force strength1 East Somerset division (police numbers)1
30 September 1995 2,986 193
31 March 1996 2.981 196
30 September 1996 3,004 200
31 March 1997 2,989 230.5
30 September 1997 2,973 240
31 March 1998 2,976 243.4
30 September 1998 2,966 238
31 March 1999 2,999 240.9
30 September 1999 2,989 239
31 March 2000 2,934 234.7
30 September 2000 2,941 239
1 Full-time equivalent numbers

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