HC Deb 19 September 2002 vol 390 cc12-4W
Keith Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on Freemasons in the police force. [73246]

Mr. Denham

Voluntary arrangements for the declaration of freemasonry membership have been established for the police, the judiciary and other parts of the criminal justice system. The Government have made no decisions about the format of and arrangements for public access to any registers.

Keith Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in(a) the Metropolitan Police, (b) Leicestershire Police and (c) Nottinghamshire Police have declared themselves to be Freemasons. [73247]

Mr. Denham

A voluntary survey of freemasonry membership was conducted by forces in 1999. From information provided by forces, the response rate was 34.4 per cent. in the Metropolitan Police Service and 35.1 per cent. in Leicestershire. This includes officers, support

Table 1. Agricultural Workers Given Leave to enter the United Kingdom, excluding EEA Nationals, by nationality, 1996–2001(1)
United Kingdom Number of Persons
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Bulgaria 510 1,150 1,050 1,190 1,290
Cyprus † — — — †
Czech Republic 210 300 270 270 250
Slovak Republic 540 830 790 310 370
Hungary 60 70 110 90 100
Malta — — — — —
Poland 2,120 3,660 3,690 3,470 3,200
Romania 130 280 190 320 310
Estonia 90 160 180 120 120
Latvia 90 230 250 290 340
Lithuania 710 1,250 1,430 1,370 1,250
Russia 290 190 110 130 210
Ukraine 540 790 1,010 1,670 1,840
Other former USSR 70 140 150 210 420
Switzerland † † — † †
Turkey 50 40 20 30 20
Yugoslavia † † — † †
Croatia — † † † —
Slovenia † † 10 † †
Other former Yugoslavia 30 50 80 140 120
Other Europe — — † † †
TOTAL EUROPE 5,440 9,160 9,340 9,610 9,860
Argentina — — † † †
Barbados — — — — —
Brazil † † — — †
Canada — † — — †
Chile — — — — —
Colombia — — — — —
Guyana — — — — —
Jamaica — — — † —
Mexico — — — — —
Peru — — — — —
Trinidad and Tobago — — — — —
USA — † † — †
Venezuela — — — — †
Other Americas † † † — †
TOTAL AMERICAS † 10 10 † 10
Algeria — — — — —
Angola † † — — —
Congo Democratic Republic — — † — —
Egypt † † † † —

staff and special constables in both forces. Of those individuals who responded, 1.83 per cent. in the Metropolitan Police Service and 0.71 per cent. in Leicestershire declared that they were members of the freemasons.

Information in respect of Nottinghamshire Police is not available.