§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received from the Chief Constable of the Thames Valley Police concerning the resources available to him; [146996]
(2) what plans he has to increase police resources for the Thames Valley Police Force. [146997]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 23 January 2001]The Chief Constable of Thames Valley wrote to me on 8 December 2000 about Crime Fighting Fund resources.
Under the provisional police funding settlement for 2001–02, Thames Valley Police Authority will receive central Government funding support of £245.2 million, an increase of 5.8 per cent. over 2000–01. Thames Valley also will receive additional funding of £4,301,000 on present estimates, for the Crime Fighting Fund, £8,652,000 for the Airwave Communications System, and £1,262,860 for rural policing.
§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of spending on police resources on an average per capita basis is(a) nationally and (b) in the South Buckinghamshire district council area. [146999]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 23 January 2001]Spending on police resources on an average per capita basis in England and Wales was £123.19 in 1999–2000. Spend in the South Buckinghamshire district council area is not available, however spend per capita in the Thames Valley police force area was £108.88 in 1999–2000.
Source:
Audit Commission, January 2001
713W
§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to chief constables about the diversion of police resources to town and city centres from the surrounding rural districts; and if he will make a statement. [147000]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 23 January 2001]I have no plans to issue guidance to chief constables about the diversion of police resources to town and city centre from rural districts. The deployment of officers is an operational matter for the chief constable who will determine operational priorities, taking into account local needs.
§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial resources he plans to make available to improve recruitment and retention of police officers in the South Buckingamshire district council area. [146998]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 23 January 2001]No financial resources are being made available specifically to improve recruitment and retention in the South Buckinghamshire district council area.
Thames Valley police is, however, benefiting from measures introduced nationally to improve police recruitment. The force was allocated 325 recruits from the Crime Fighting Fund (CFF) recruitment initiative: 111 for
£ Westminster Kensington and Chelsea 1997–98 Grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 1,363,059 739,615 "Make a difference" — 55,000 1998–99 Grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 19661 1,398,498 758,845 "Make a difference" — 30,000 Youth Justice pilots 17,000 11,250 1999–2000 "Make a difference" — 20,000 Youth Justice pilots 53,500 38,930 Drug Action Team development funding — 35,782 Adult and family asylum seekers 10,192,480 7,790,560 2000–01 Young offender referral order pilot 72,000 72,000 Drug Action Team development funding — 35,782 Adult and family asylum seekers2 6,375,743 5,621,054 Crime Reduction programme3 0 56,000 2001–024 Young offender referral order pilot 72,000 72,000 Drug Action Team development funding — 35,782 Crime reduction programme 1,925,000 — 1 The Ethnic Minorities and Travellers Achievement Grant, which replaced section 11 grant at the end of 1998–99, is administered by the Department for Education and Employment 2 Actual grant payments for first six months only. No estimate is available for final six months; or for the unaccompanied asylum seeking children's grant, of which neither authority has received any payment to date. 3 Actual grant payments to date. Total projected payments for 2000–01 are: Westminster £280,000; Kensington and Chelsea £177,000. 4 Projected grant payments. No projections are available for the adult and family asylum seekers grants; or for the unaccompanied asylum seeking children's grant.