§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many full-time reserve policemen serve in the Police Service of Northern Ireland; what assurance they have for their future employment; and what are the terms of severance if it arises. [HL5355]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe number of full-time reserve police officers serving in the Police Service of Northern Ireland as at 3 July 2002 was 2,038.
126WAThe Government remain committed to the objective of phasing out the full-time reserve in line with the Patten report and the implementation plan. The Policing Board has asked the PSNI, in the context: of the service's overall human resources strategy, to prepare detailed proposals to be considered by the board. The Government will want to hear the board's views, in conjunction with the Chief Constable's assessment, before final decisions are made and announced. The Government recognise and regret the effect of uncertainty on officers and their families. We hope that it will be possible to reach conclusions on this issue in the near future. In the meantime, contracts for reserve officers are being renewed within the current guidelines.
Discussions over the severance terms that will be available to full-time reserve officers, once a firm decision has been taken to begin the phasing-out process, have not yet concluded. However, the Government have already given a commitment that the full-time reserve will be treated no less favourably than the generous terms currently on offer under the voluntary severance scheme. They will be given an appropriate period of notice and full opportunities for re-training/business opportunities in preparation for alternative employment.