§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on police officer manning levels in the Lancashire Police Authority area. [137212]
§ Ms BlearsDecisions on the balance between police officers and police (support) staff is a matter for the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary (Paul Stephenson QPM). At the end of August 2003, the force had record strength of 3,469 police officers. This is 130 more than in March 2003 and 165 more than in March 2002. I understand that the force has forecast strength for 31 March 2004 at 3,503 officers. In March 2003, the force had 1,489 police (support) staff, which is 47 more than in March 2002.
Additionally, Lancashire Constabulary had 77 Community Support Officers on 31 August 2003, with plans to have 107 by March 2004.
§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to merge constabularies in the area of the Government Office for the West Midlands. [137623]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 10 November 2003]I have no plans to merge constabularies in the area of the Government Office of the West Midlands.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 6 October 2003,Official Report, column 1242W, on the police, how many police officers licensed to carry firearms in each year since 1997 were (a) suspended and (b) prevented from carrying firearms; and if he will make a statement. [136946]
§ Ms BlearsInformation concerning the numbers of police officers licensed to carry firearms in each year since 1997 and(a) suspended and (b) prevented from carrying firearms is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police response vehicles are available(a) in each London borough and (b) to the (i) British Transport Police and (ii) Royal Parks Police; and if he will make a statement. [136866]
§ Ms BlearsThe information is provided as follows:
(a) The statistics for borough based response vehicles are set out in the table. These have been provided by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis:
242W
Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU) Liveried Response Vehicles Barking Dagenham BOCU 12 Barnet BOCU 24 Bexley BOCU 14 Brent BOCU 22 Bromley BOCU 18 Camden BOCU 20 Croydon BOCU 21 Ealing BOCU 22 Enfield BOCU 14 Greenwich BOCU 23 Hackney BOCU 25 Hammersmith and Fulham 16 Haringey BOCU 20
Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU) Liveried Response Vehicles Harrow BOCU 14 Havering BOCU 17 Hillingdon BOCU 19 Hounslow BOCU 18 Islington BOCU 24 Kensington and Chelsea 14 Kingston-upon-Thames 13 Lambeth BOCU 40 Lewisham BOCU 19 Merton BOCU 13 Newham BOCU 21 Redbridge BOCU 20 Richmond-upon-Thames 14 Southwark BOCU 34 Sutton BOCU 14 Tower Hamlets BOCU 20 Waltham Forest BOCU 19 Wandsworth BOCU 26 Westminster BOCU 34 Total 644 The Metropolitan Police Service also holds vehicles equipped to attend emergency calls, attached to specialist units.
(b) (i) The British Transport Police has a total of 345 vehicles that can act as response vehicles.
(ii) The Royal Parks Constabulary has two police response vehicles.