§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are undergoing firearms training; and what the figure was five years ago. [154686]
374W
§ Ms BlearsThe requested information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers are qualified in the use of firearms; and what the figure was five years ago. [154687]
§ Ms BlearsThe number of authorised firearms officers (AFOs) in police forces in England and Wales for years 1998–2003 is shown in the table.
Number of authorised firearms officers (AFOs)
1997–98 6,585 1998–99 6,308 1999–2000 6,262 2000–01 6,064 2001–02 5,776 2002–03 5,763
§ Tom LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what offences arrests can be carried out by a police officer only in uniform; and what the reason is for this condition. [154003]
§ Ms BlearsThe full information requested is not readily available and further research is required to provide a comprehensive reply. I will write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cells are in use in Lancashire. [153505]
§ Ms BlearsThe Chief Constable of Lancashire informs me that there are 176 cells in use within the police area.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cells are available per head of population in each police force area. [153507]
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cells were used for housing prisoners in each police force area on the latest date for which figures are available. [153508]
§ Ms BlearsThis information is not held centrally. This is an operational matter that falls within the remit of the individual Chief Constables.
§ David MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis he has calculated the provisional increase in direct Home Office grant to police authorities for 2004–05. [151873]
§ Ms BlearsWe decided, exceptionally, on an increase of 3.25 per cent. in general grant to meet general inflationary pressures and allow all police authorities to set budgets that do not place excessive burdens on local taxpayers.
375W
§ David MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has put in place to ensure that police authorities receive sufficient funding to meet their commitments under their statutory Police Plans. [151877]
§ Ms BlearsMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's key priorities for policing over the next three years were set out in the National Policing Plan 2004–07. This national plan provides the framework within which local policing plans are prepared. Local policing plans and the funding of commitments contained in them are matters for individual police authorities.
All police authorities in England and Wales will receive a 3.25 per cent. increase in general grants next year. This exceeds projections of general inflation of around 2.6 per cent. On top of this, funding for a range of targeted programmes and capital provision will be made available.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been provided to each police authority from Airwave grant in 2003–04; and what the planned provision is from Airwave grant for each police authority for 2004–05. [150630]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 26 January 2004]The distribution of money from the Airwave grant to police authorities in 2003–04 is as shown in the following annex 'A'.
In 2004–05, the Airwave grant payable to police authorities is to be absorbed within the general Home Office grant to the police.
This funding is to be distributed as shown in the following annex 'B'.
376W
Annex A: Allocation of Airwave grant 2003–04 £000 Revenue Capital Total Avon and Somerset 505 — 505 Bedfordshire 233 — 233 Cambridgeshire 338 — 338 Cheshire 246 4,193 4,439 City of London 119 — 119 Cleveland 432 — 432 Cumbria 0 — 0 Derbyshire 307 — 307 Devon and Cornwall 0 — 0 Dorset 157 — 157 Durham 184 — 184 Dyfed Powys 0 577 577 Essex 443 1,884 2,327 Gloucestershire 154 — 154 GMP 1,128 — 1,128 Gwent 155 — 155 Hampshire 593 7,597 8,190 Hertfordshire 293 — 293 Humberside 341 — 341 Kent 0 7,153 7,153 Lancashire 541 — 541 Leicestershire 307 — 307 Lincolnshire 429 — 429 Merseyside 1,236 2,631 3,867 Met 3,355 11,663 15,018 Norfolk 0 3,232 3,232 North Wales 0 843 843 North Yorkshire 232 — 232 Northamptonshire 99 2,532 2,631
Annex A: Allocation of Airwave grant 2003–04 £000 Revenue Capital Total Northumbria 635 — 635 Nottinghamshire 943 — 943 South Wales 548 — 548 South Yorkshire 903 4,695 5,598 Staffordshire 0 4,357 4,357 Suffolk 207 — 207 Surrey 531 2.762 3,293 Sussex 0 1,873 1,873 Thames Valley 674 — 674 Warwickshire 40 2,023 2,063 West Mercia 340 — 340 West Midlands 860 14,687 15,547 West Yorkshire 866 3,227 4,093 Wiltshire 195 — 195 Totals 18,569 75,929 94,498
Allocation of Airwave grant to general grant 2004–05 £000 Allocation Avon and Somerset 840 Bedfordshire 320 Cambridgeshire 380 Cheshire 560 City of London 240 Cleveland 450 Cumbria 310 Derbyshire 530 Devon and Cornwall 870 Dorset 330 Durham 440 Dyfed Powys 260 Essex 840 Gloucestershire 310 GMP 2,040 Gwent 370 Hampshire 990 Hertfordshire 540 Humberside 600 Kent 950 Lancashire 950 Leicestershire 530 Lincolnshire 310 Merseyside 1,290 Met 9,460 Norfolk 430 North Wales 390 North Yorkshire 380 Northamptonshire 330 Northumbria 1,150 Nottinghamshire 660 South Wales 870 South Yorkshire 920 Staffordshire 570 Suffolk 340 Surrey 460 Sussex 820 Thames Valley 1,110 Warwickshire 260 West Mercia 560 West Midlands 2,080 West Yorkshire 1,550 Wiltshire 310 Totals 37,920
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the 377W Government's policy for the funding for 2004–05 and future financial years of police authority expenditure now financed by the Airwave grant. [150631]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 26 January 2004]The Government's policy is to give the police authorities maximum possible flexibility and discretion in the use of the grants provided to them by the Home Office. £38 million previously intended to be provided to police authorities as a grant specifically for Airwave in 2004–05 will now be provided to police authorities as part of the general Home Office giant to the police.
Funding for future years is the subject of discussion as part of the 2004 settlement.