§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accidents police vehicles have been involved in, in each year since 1997. [116920]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe total number of police vehicle accidents in England and Wales since 1997 are as follows:
822W
Number 1997–98 16,946 1998–99 17,338 1999–2000 18,068 2000–01 19,266 2001–02 16,826 Notes:
1. The information is provided by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, to which forces submit statistical returns.
2. All figures are for financial years.
3. Figures for 2002–03 are not yet available.
4. The figures include all incidents in which a police vehicle sustains damage, including those where no other vehicle is involved. They encompass a very wide range of incidents from the very serious to the trivial, such as a scratched vehicle in a police yard.