HC Deb 07 May 2003 vol 404 cc756-7W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance data is gathered by the Police Standards Unit from local police forces. [109515]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth

The Police Standards Unit itself does not gather performance data from local police forces directly. The Unit does assemble and make use of performance information, for instance on crime rates, detection rates and resource usage, which is collected from forces by other parts of the Home Office. The Unit also makes use of some data collected by the Association of Chief Police Officers (for instance on forensics performance).

Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress achieved in developing the Police Performance Assessment Framework. [109600]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth

As stated in the National Policing Plan 2002–06, the Home Office, in partnership with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Association of Police Authorities (APA) and the other key stakeholders, is developing a balanced performance assessment framework for policing—the "Policing Performance Assessment Framework" (PPAF). When completed, this will facilitate the monitoring of policing performance across six performance areas (domains): citizen focus; reducing crime; investigating crime; promoting public safety; providing assistance and resource usage.

Before the full PPAF is introduced, an interim assessment framework is being used to compare policing performance. The National Policing Plan 2002–06 details 13 interim performance indicators against which performance is being assessed. The report "Police Performance Monitoring 2001/02" published in February 2002 contains further information.

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) police officers and (b) civilian police staff based in Shrewsbury Police Station were subjected to (i) verbal and (ii) physical attacks in the last year. [109661]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth

The requested details are not collected centrally. Available information is as follows:

West Mercia Constabulary—2001–02
Police officers Civilian police staff
Fatal assaults 0 0
Serious assaults 18 1
Less serious assaults 234 19
Total 252 20

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions he has had with(a) the Metropolitan Police and (b) senior police officers in Hackney and Havering regarding the loss of eight police officers from the London Borough of Havering to the London Borough of Hackney; [110715]

(2) if he will make a statement on the loss of eight police officers from the London Borough of Havering to the London Borough of Hackney; [110716]

(3) when he next intends to review police numbers in the London Boroughs of (a) Havering and (b) Hackney. [110714]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth

Decisions about the allocation of resources, including police officers, to the London Boroughs are matters for the Commissioner and the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA).

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has regular meetings with the Commissioner (Sir John Stevens QPM) at which a range of policing issues are discussed, including police numbers. I understand from the Commissioner that he and the MPA are committed to achieving borough workforce targets in all boroughs as soon as practicable.