HC Deb 12 February 2002 vol 380 cc299-305W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police officers(a) retired from, (b) left for other reasons from and (c) was

Police officer retirements, other wastage and recruitment 1997 to 2001

Police officer retirements1: number and proportion of total strength
April 1997-March 1998 April 1998-March 1999 April 1999-March 2000 April 2000-March 2001
Police force Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Avon and Somerset 124 4.2 80 2.7 104 3.5 109 3.6
Bedfordshire 46 4.3 49 4.7 39 3.8 31 3.0
Cambridgeshire 34 2.6 46 3.6 37 3.0 28 2.2
Cheshire 82 4.0 61 2.9 67 3.3 62 3.1
City of London 38 4.6 27 3.5 29 4.0 26 3.7
Cleveland 25 1.7 53 3.7 53 3.8 65 4.6
Cumbria 45 3.9 36 3.2 50 4.6 41 3.9
Derbyshire 77 4.3 50 2.8 36 2.0 37 2.0
Devon and Cornwall 111 3.7 96 3.3 112 3.9 108 3.7
Dorset 88 6.7 45 3.5 49 3.8 54 4.0
Durham 51 3.4 32 2.0 32 2.1 35 2.2
Dyfed Powys 25 2.5 20 1.9 31 3.0 30 2.8
Essex 100 3.4 96 3.3 99 3.5 75 2.6
Gloucestershire 56 5.1 51 4.6 36 3.2 35 3.0
Greater Manchester 329 4.7 282 4.1 235 3.5 239 3.5
Gwent 32 2.6 28 2.2 49 3.9 43 3.4
Hampshire 70 2.0 67 1.9 129 3.8 107 3.1
Hertfordshire 51 2.9 45 2.6 67 3.8 48 2.5
Humberside 83 4.1 64 3.2 76 3.9 74 3.9
Kent 89 2.7 79 2.5 102 3.2 103 3.1
Lancashire 111 3.4 75 2.3 78 2.5 105 3.2
Leicestershire 59 3.0 47 2.4 46 2.3 56 2.8
Lincolnshire 33 2.8 49 4.3 58 5.2 45 3.7
Merseyide 151 3.6 112 2.7 116 2.8 124 3.0
Metropolitan police 983 3.8 1,065 4.1 815 3.2 686 2.8
Norfolk 66 4.6 47 3.4 45 3.3 49 3.5
North Wales 46 3.3 62 4.5 49 3.5 60 4.2
North Yorkshire 38 2.8 29 2.2 51 4.0 55 4.2
Northamptonshire 44 3.8 16 1.4 25 2.2 26 2.2
Northumbria 151 4.0 115 3.0 103 2.7 91 2.4
Nottinghamshire 92 4.0 82 3.7 67 3.0 75 3.3
South Wales 136 4.6 139 4.7 105 3.6 131 4.2
South Yorkshire 92 2.9 100 3.2 100 3.2 104 3.3
Staffordshire 126 5.5 69 3.1 51 24 50 2.3
Suffolk 51 4.3 26 2.2 37 3.2 52 4.6
Surrey 73 4.5 50 3.0 54 3.0 52 3.7
Sussex 128 4.3 127 4.5 107 3.8 106 3.7
Thames Valley 123 3.3 92 2.5 109 2.9 91 2.5
Warwickshire 45 4.9 42 4.6 25 2.8 33 3.6
West Mercia 69 3.4 71 3.5 79 4.2 114 5.8
West Midlands 294 4.1 203 2.8 184 2.6 158 2.1
West Yorkshire 163 3.2 142 2.9 153 3.2 158 3.3
Wiltshire 48 4.2 45 3.9 40 3.6 33 2.9
Total for all 43 forces 4,678 3.7 4,112 3.3 3,929 3.2 3,804 3.1
Total including secondments 4,678 3.7 4,112 3.3 3,929 3.2 3,804 3.0
1 Retirements include ordinary and medical retirements
recruited to each police force in each year since 1997. [34780]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 8 February 2002]: The information provided relates to financial year data and is given in the table.

Latest figures as at 30 September 2001, showed that 6,160 officers left the service in the previous 12 months. This represents 4.9 per cent. of the total police strength of the 43 forces in England and Wales. Within this total, 3,931 officers retired and the remainder left for other reasons including resignations, transfers to forces outside England and Wales, dismissals and deaths.

During the 12 months to 30 September 2001, 9,020 officers were recruited, this is 3,694 or 69 per cent. more than the previous year and the most since 1979. This represents 7.2 per cent. of the total strength.

Other police officer wastage: number and proportion of total strength
April 1997-March 1998 April 1998-March 1999 April 1999-March 2000 April 2000-March 2001
Police force Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Avon and Somerset 24 0.8 24 0.8 42 1.4 51 1.7
Bedfordshire 21 1.9 14 1.3 19 1.8 51 4.0
Cambridgeshire 34 2.6 20 1.6 17 1.4 42 3.2
Cheshire 20 1.0 11 0.5 23 1.1 23 1.1
City of London 35 4.2 31 4.0 21 2.9 29 4.1
Cleveland 16 1.1 25 1.8 6 0.4 16 1.1
Cumbria 11 0.9 24 2.1 16 1.5 28 2.7
Derbyshire 16 0.9 9 0.5 11 0.6 11 0.6
Devon and Cornwall 18 0.6 15 0.5 22 0.8 22 0.7
Dorset 20 1.5 19 1.5 26 2.0 15 1.1
Durham 28 1.8 10 0.6 26 1.7 18 1.1
Dyfed Powys 7 0.7 5 0.5 8 0.8 19 1.8
Essex 57 1.9 26 0.9 70 2.5 66 2.3
Gloucestershire 9 0.8 9 0.8 17 1.5 12 1.0
Greater Manchester 51 0.7 64 0.9 61 0.9 65 0.9
Gwent 18 1.5 22 1.8 19 1.5 15 1.2
Hampshire 87 2.5 70 2.0 61 1.8 80 2.3
Hertfordshire 44 2.5 46 2.7 48 2.7 69 3.6
Humberside 29 1.4 30 1.5 19 1.0 61 3.2
Kent 50 1.5 70 2.2 54 1.7 53 1.6
Lancashire 24 0.7 24 0.7 33 1.0 34 1.0
Leicestershire 34 1.7 47 2.4 23 1.2 16 0.8
Lincolnshire 41 3.4 12 1.1 9 0.8 15 1.2
Merseyide 27 0.6 24 0.6 29 0.7 33 0.8
Metropolitan police 578 2.2 660 2.5 662 2.6 412 1.7
Norfolk 22 1.5 17 1.2 12 0.9 13 0.9
North Wales 9 0.6 10 0.7 7 0.5 15 1.0
North Yorkshire 14 1.0 15 1.1 15 1.2 7 0.5
Northamptonshire 13 1.1 44 3.9 13 1.2 28 2.4
Northumbria 53 1.4 45 1.2 48 1.3 45 1.2
Nottinghamshire 21 0.9 28 1.3 25 1.1 21 0.9
South Wales 17 0.6 27 0.9 26 0.9 30 1.0
South Yorkshire 32 1.0 44 1.4 37 1.2 34 1.1
Staffordshire 35 1.5 27 1.2 30 1.4 25 1.2
Suffolk 13 1.1 28 2.4 19 1.7 24 2.1
Surrey 46 2.9 32 1.9 26 1.5 40 1.9
Sussex 53 1.8 74 2.6 78 2.8 80 2.8
Thames Valley 65 1.7 44 1.2 80 2.1 81 2.2
Warwickshire 21 2.3 13 1.4 13 1.4 21 2.3
West Mercia 30 1.5 29 1.4 23 1.2 42 2.2
West Midlands 152 2.1 138 1.9 143 2.0 161 2.2
West Yorkshire 69 1.3 56 1.1 56 1.2 65 1.3
Wiltshire 15 1.3 10 0.9 26 2.3 32 2.9
Total for all 43 forces 1,979 1.6 1,992 1.6 2,019 1.7 2,010 1.6
Total including secondments 1,979 1.6 1,992 1.6 2,019 1.6 2,010 1.6
1 Retirements include ordinary and medical retirements

Total police officer wastage: number and proportion of total strength
April 1997-March 1998 April 1998-March 1999 April 1999-March 2000 April 2000-March 2001
Police force Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Avon and Somerset 148 5.0 104 3.5 146 5.0 160 5.3
Bedfordshire 67 6.2 63 6.1 58 5.6 72 7.0
Cambridgeshire 68 5.3 66 5.2 54 4.4 70 5.4
Cheshire 102 5.0 72 3.5 90 4.5 85 4.2
City of London 73 8.8 58 7.5 50 6.8 55 7.8
Cleveland 41 2.8 78 5.5 59 4.2 81 5.8
Cumbria 56 4.8 60 5.3 66 6.1 69 6.6
Derbyshire 93 5.2 59 3.4 47 2.6 48 2.6
Devon and Cornwall 129 4.4 111 3.8 134 4.7 130 4.4
Dorset 108 8.2 64 5.0 75 5.7 69 5.1
Durham 79 5.2 42 2.7 58 3.7 53 3.3
Dyfed Powys 32 3.2 25 2.4 39 3.8 49 4.6
Essex 157 5.4 122 4.2 169 6.0 141 4.9
Gloucestershire 65 5.9 60 5.4 53 4.8 47 4.0
Greater Manchester 380 5.5 346 5.1 296 4.4 304 4.4
Gwent 50 4.1 50 4.0 68 5.4 58 4.6
Hampshire 157 4.5 137 3.9 190 5.6 187 5.4
Hertfordshire 95 5.5 91 5.3 115 6.5 117 6.1
Humberside 112 5.5 94 4.8 95 4.9 135 7.0

Total police officer wastage: number and proportion of total strength
April 1997-March 1998 April 1998-March 1999 April 1999-March 2000 April 2000-March 2001
Police force Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Kent 139 4.3 149 4.7 156 4.9 156 4.7
Lancashire 135 4.1 99 3.1 111 3.5 139 4.3
Leicestershire 93 4.7 94 4.7 69 3.5 72 3.5
Lincolnshire 74 6.2 61 5.4 67 6.0 60 5.0
Merseyide 178 4.2 3.6 3.2 145 3.5 157 3.8
Metropolitan police 1,561 6.0 1,725 6.6 1,477 5.8 1,098 4.4
Norfolk 88 6.2 64 4.6 57 4.1 62 4.4
North Wales 55 3.9 72 5.2 56 4.0 75 5.2
North Yorkshire 52 3.8 44 3.3 66 5.1 62 4.7
Northamptonshire 57 4.9 60 5.3 38 3.4 54 4.7
Northumbria 204 5.4 160 4.2 151 4.0 136 3.5
Nottinghamshire 113 4.9 110 4.9 92 4.2 96 4.2
South Wales 153 5.1 166 5.6 131 4.5 161 5.1
South Yorkshire 124 3.9 144 4.5 137 4.3 138 4.3
Staffordshire 161 7.0 96 4.3 81 3.7 75 3.5
Suffolk 64 5.4 54 4.5 56 4.9 76 6.7
Surrey 119 7.4 82 4.9 80 4.5 92 4.5
Sussex 181 6.0 201 7.1 185 6.6 186 6.5
Thames Valley 188 5.0 136 3.6 189 5.1 172 4.6
Warwickshire 66 7.1 55 6.1 38 4.2 54 5.8
West Mercia 99 4.9 100 4.9 102 5.4 156 8.0
West Midlands 446 6.2 341 4.7 327 4.5 319 4.3
West Yorkshire 232 4.5 198 4.0 209 4.3 223 4.6
Wiltshire 63 5.4 55 4.8 66 5.9 65 5.8
Total for all 43 forces 6,657 5.3 6,104 4.9 5,948 4.9 5,814 4.7
Total including secondments 6,657 5.2 6,104 4.8 5,948 4.8 5,814 4.6
1 Retirements include ordinary and medical retirements

Police officer recruitment: number and proportion of total strength
April 1997-March 1998 April 1998-March 1999 April 1999-March 2000 April 2000-March 2001
Police force Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Avon and Somerset 138 4.6 142 4.7 104 3.5 184 6.1
Bedfordshire 49 4.5 36 3.5 37 3.6 82 7.9
Cambridgeshire 65 5.0 46 3.6 23 1.9 134 10.3
Cheshire 94 4.6 112 5.4 36 1.8 108 5.4
City of London 34 4.1 18 2.3 0 0.0 29 4.1
Cleveland 71 4.8 0 0.0 68 4.8 71 5.0
Cumbria 79 6.8 34 3.0 23 2.1 31 3.0
Derbyshire 66 3.7 52 3.0 79 4.4 103 5.7
Devon and Cornwall 179 6.0 57 2.0 74 2.6 172 5.9
Dorset 129 9.8 44 3.4 87 6.7 100 7.4
Durham 123 8.1 106 6.8 51 3.3 83 5.2
Dyfed Powys 42 4.2 50 4.9 54 5.2 58 5.5
Essex 124 4.2 96 3.3 93 3.3 181 6.2
Gloucestershire 34 3.1 64 5.8 59 5.3 89 7.6
Greater Manchester 437 6.3 217 3.2 286 4.2 389 5.6
Gwent 39 3.2 61 4.9 82 6.5 63 4.9
Hampshire 201 5.8 117 3.4 152 444 191 5.6
Hertfordshire 78 4.5 79 4.6 167 9.5 110 5.7
Humberside 88 4.4 48 2.4 91 4.7 98 5.1
Kent 119 3.7 120 3.7 174 5.4 269 8.1
Lancashire 135 4.1 55 1.7 99 3.1 164 5.0
Leicestershire 118 6.0 88 4.4 67 3.4 108 5.3
Lincolnshire 61 5.1 6 0.5 34 3.0 119 9.9
Merseyide 181 4.3 234 5.6 41 1.9 178 4.4
Metropolitan police 1,200 4.6 1,629 6.2 994 3.9 1,276 5.1
Norfolk 84 5.9 28 2.9 43 3.1 90 6.3
North Wales 48 3.4 59 4.2 79 5.6 119 8.2
North Yorkshire 65 4.8 17 1.3 10 0.8 66 5.1
Northamptonshire 57 4.9 29 2.5 19 1.7 93 8.0
Northumbria 275 7.3 233 6.1 121 3.2 226 5.9
Nottinghamshire 111 4.8 22 1.9 104 4.7 134 5.9
South Wales 168 5.6 183 6.1 124 4.2 286 9.1
South Yorkshire 145 4.6 130 4.1 128 4.0 183 5.7
Staffordshire 239 10.4 31 1.4 22 1.0 62 2.9
Suffolk 76 6.4 57 4.8 17 1.5 65 5.7
Surrey 116 7.2 138 .8.3 183 10.3 240 11.6
Sussex 135 4.5 109 3.8 101 3.6 206 7.2
Thames Valley 276 7.3 153 4.1 190 5.1 237 6.4

Police officer recruitment: number and proportion of total strength
April 1997-March 1998 April 1998-March 1999 April 1999-March 2000 April 2000-March 2001
Police force Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Warwickshire 67 7.3 50 5.5 59 6.6 85 9.2
West Mercia 79 3.9 109 5.4 15 0.8 92 4.7
West Midlands 444 6.2 466 6.4 255 3.5 553 7.4
West Yorkshire 203 3.9 17 0.3 61 1.3 212 4.4
Wiltshire 71 6.1 49 4.3 29 2.6 75 6.7
Total for all 43 forces 6,543 5.2 5,391 4.4 4,535 3.7 7,414 6.0
Total including secondments 6,543 5.2 5,391 4.3 4,535 3.7 7,414 5.9
1 Retirements include ordinary and medical retirements

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