§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on plans to change the status of plain-clothed police officers to uniformed officers; and if he will make a statement. [5786]
§ Mr. DenhamWe want to enhance the visibility of the police in a common-sense way as part of our programme for police reform. This means that, on some occasions, officers will be in plain clothes and, on others, in uniform. The decision on how this should be applied rests with local management.
Officers in uniform and in plain clothes are equally important and valued in their different roles: uniformed duties should not be regarded as of lesser status.
§ Mr. BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have(a) retired and (b) joined since 1997 in (i) east Sussex and (ii) the Senlac division. [9864]
862W
§ Mr. DenhamThe Sussex police are unable to provide information on either recruitment or retirement at divisional level since 1997. East Sussex is an integral part of the Sussex police. Information on recruitment and retirements is therefore for the force area as a whole for the four years to March 2001.
The table sets out recruitment and retirement figures for the Sussex police. Information on retirement and recruitment for the first six months of 2001–02 will be available in December.
Year Recruitment Retirements 1997–98 135 128 1998–99 109 127 1999–2000 101 107 2000–01 206 106