§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects(a) the project establishing national recruitment standards for the police service to be completed and (b) the national recruitment standards to come into effect for all police services in the United Kingdom; and (c) what representations have been made by the Durham Constabulary regarding their eyesight criteria to the project establishing national recruitment standards. [68315]
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§ Mr. DenhamThe information is as follows:
- (a) it is the intention to complete the work of the National Recruitment Standards Project during 2003.
- (b) national recruitment standards on eligibility criteria and fitness have already been introduced.
New job related medical and eyesight standards are expected by the end of 2002.
A new recruitment application form for the police service is expected to be introduced by January 2003.
A new national assessment and selection process for police recruits is due to be phased in later this year and over 2003.
(c) The Home Office provides guidance to forces on eyesight standards. The present guidance for eyesight is that candidates' unaided vision must be 6/24 or better in either eye and aided vision must be 6/12 or better in either eye, 6/6 or better binocularly. All forces were asked to apply the standards consistently pending the outcome of the research to develop new job-related eyesight standards.
Durham Constabulary informed the Home Office of a pilot scheme which they had run. During this pilot they had lowered their unaided vision to 6/60, provided candidates could achieve a vision of 6/6 with the assistance of contact lenses. This had allowed them to recruit seven additional people. However, in order to co-operate with the Home Office request, the pilot scheme was terminated on 1 August 2001.