§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers in North Yorkshire he estimates are paid out of police grants, with particular reference to rural funding for police officers; [92823]
(2) what plans he has to increase the amount of rural funding for police officers for the years (a) 2003–04, (b) 20047–05 and (c) 2005–06; [92822]
(3) how many police officers in North Yorkshire are paid from police grants paid by Government; and what specific provision was made in the police pay formula for additional funds to be made available to North Yorkshire to pay the increase. [92821]
§ Mr. DenhamGeneral grant is not paid on the basis of supporting a particular number of police officers, but on an overall assessment of relative authority needs and resources.
Specific grant from the Crime Fighting Fund is supporting the recruitment of officers over and above forces previous plans for the three years to March 2003.
1039WUnder the Crime Fighting Fund (CFF) recruitment initiative North Yorkshire Police have been allocated an additional 68 recruits.
In 2000–01, the first year of the scheme, the force appointed 64 new recruits, of whom four were funded by the CFF. In 2001–02 the force appointed 100 new recruits, including 37 CFF funded recruits. North Yorkshire will be able to take on 27 CFF funded recruits this financial year.
For 2003–04 the Rural Policing Fund will allocate £30 million in additional funding between the 31 forces that have the most widespread population. North Yorkshire will receive £2,018,029 through the Rural Policing Fund in 2003–04.
It is for the Chief Officer to decide how best to spend this additional money to enhance policing in rural areas.
No decisions about the Rural Policing Fund have been taken for 2004–05 and 2005–06.