Metropolitan Police (Hansard, 2 December 2002)

§ Mr. Horam
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average age of retirement of police officers was in the Metropolitan Police in each of the last five years; and what the cost to public funds of pensions for all retired staff was in each of the last 10 years. [82477]

§ Mr. Denham
[holding answer 27 November 2002]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that:
(a) the average age of retirement of police officers was in the Metropolitan Police:

Average Age

1997–98 52.3

1998–99 52.6

1999–2000 52.6

2000–01 52.2

2001–02 52.5

(b) the net cost of pensions for police officers and civil staff and dependent pensions, death benefits and pension transfer (comprising pensions paid, lump sums, widows and widowers payments) of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was as follows.

£000

MPS net pensions total

1992–93 127,698

1993–94 144,923

1994–95 178,331

1995–96 174,062

1996–97 208,457

1997–98 229,585

586W

£000

MPS net pensions total

1998–99 253,074

1999–2000 254,528

2000–01 259,673

2001–02 280,872

§ Mr. Horam
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the detection rate was in the Metropolitan police area for each of the last three years; and what guidance he gives for estimating detection rates. [82480]

§ Mr. Denham
[holding answer 27 November 2002]: The requested details are given in the table.

Percentage

Metropolitan police

Year ending March Detection rate¹

1999–2000² 16

2000–01³ 15

2001–02 14

¹ Detection rates: the ratio of offences detected in a year to offences recorded in the year.

² There was a change in the guidance for counting detections on 1 April 1999 (See below). Detection rates after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.

³ On 1 April 2000, the Metropolitan police transferred parts of its area to three surrounding forces; Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey. This boundary change would have affected the number of offences recorded and detected by the Metropolitan police. The figure given here incorporates the effects of the boundary change.

The counting rules for detections introduced on 1 April 1999 provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. The most significant of these criteria is that there must be significant evidence to charge the suspect with a crime (whether or not a charge is actually imposed) so that, if given in court, it would be likely to result in a conviction. Detections obtained by the interview of a convicted prisoner are no longer included, and any detections where no further police action is taken generally have to be approved by a senior police officer or the Crown Prosecution Service. An offence is said to be cleared up/or detected in the following circumstances:

(a) A person has been charged or summonsed for the offence.

(b) a person has been cautioned.

(c) the court has taken the offence into consideration (TIC).

(d) where no further action is taken, the case is not proceeded with e.g. because the offender is under the age of criminal responsibility, the offender has died, because the victim or an essential witness is permanently unable to give evidence, or no useful purpose would be served by proceeding with the charge.
Some offences have much higher detection rates than others because there is a high likelihood of the victim being able to identify the offender, e.g. assault, and the majority of sexual offences. This would have an affect on the overall detection rate, therefore, it would be a better measure to look at specific offence detection rates rather than the overall rate.
587W
The Home Office counting rules for recorded crime were again revised as from April 2002 in order to incorporate the new National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS), which aims to introduce a greater degree of consistency to the ways in which crime is recorded in different police forces and to take a more victim orientated approach to crime recording. The effect will be to increase significantly the number of crimes in the recorded crime count which in turn may affect detection rates. Some police forces introduced the new Standard in advance of national implementation, but figures given above for the Metropolitan police will not be affected as the force adopted the principles of the Standard in April 2002.

	Average Age
1997–98	52.3
1998–99	52.6
1999–2000	52.6
2000–01	52.2
2001–02	52.5

£000
	MPS net pensions total
1992–93	127,698
1993–94	144,923
1994–95	178,331
1995–96	174,062
1996–97	208,457
1997–98	229,585

Percentage
Metropolitan police
Year ending March	Detection rate¹
1999–2000²	16
2000–01³	15
2001–02	14
¹ Detection rates: the ratio of offences detected in a year to offences recorded in the year.
² There was a change in the guidance for counting detections on 1 April 1999 (See below). Detection rates after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.
³ On 1 April 2000, the Metropolitan police transferred parts of its area to three surrounding forces; Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey. This boundary change would have affected the number of offences recorded and detected by the Metropolitan police. The figure given here incorporates the effects of the boundary change.