HC Deb 20 July 2004 vol 424 c224W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average annual cost of employing, training and developing a probationary police constable in the last year for which figures are available. [183993]

Ms Blears

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary have estimated that the average salary, training and development costs of a probationary police constable up to independent patrol (which is normally 31 weeks after joining a force) in 2003–04 were £27,048. This figure includes salary costs of £13,993 per probationary police constable for that period and training and development costs of £13,055.

There are of course, associated employment costs for recruitment, supervision, accommodation, information technology and so on. However, these are not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.