§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the Full Time Reserve of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [151614]
§ Jane KennedyThe Government accepted, subject to the security situation, the recommendation in the Patten report that
the future police service should not include a Full Time Reserve".In October 2002 the Chief Constable put to the Policing Board a human resource strategy to meet the staffing needs of the Police Service over the next eight to 10 years which the Policing Board endorsed. This included a phased run-down of the Full Time Reserve over an 18 month period from April 2005, subject to no further deterioration of the security situation and the continued success of the recruitment campaign for the Police Service.
Later this year the Chief Constable will put forward advice to the Board and the Secretary of State on these matters. The Government recognise the major contribution that members of the Reserve have made to the maintenance of law and order in Northern Ireland and the high price that they and many of their families have had to pay in doing so.
Negotiations between Government officials and the Police Federation about severance arrangements for the Full Time Reserve have begun.