Police (Hansard, 23 July 2004)

§ Bob Russell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has866W received about the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 removing the exemption for police officers from jury service. [181755]

§ Ms Blears
We have had a number of recent discussions with police representatives in relation to the new jury service provisions which were introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. We will be working with the police to provide appropriate guidance to police officers and civilian police staff who are called upon for jury service.

§ Mr. Gill
To ask tie Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage change there has been in the number of police officers in each year since 1997 in(a) Leicester, (b) Leicestershire and (c) England. [186261]

§ Ms Blears
Information on the strength for the Leicestershire Constabulary and for England for each year since 1997 is set out in Table 1. Information on strength at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002 and is set out in Table 2.
Leicestershire Constabulary restructured its BCUs in 2002–03 resulting in a reduction from five to four BCUs by 31 March 2003. Table 2 therefore sets out strength for each BCU. Overall BCU strength increased between March 2002 and March 2003 by 1.2 per cent. (from 1,555 to 1,574 officers). BCU numbers for March 2004 will be published later in the year. The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Matthew Baggott) and within each BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Table 1: Police strength—(a) Leicestershire Constabulary 1997 to 2004, (b) England 1997 to 2004

Police strength¹ Percentage change

(a) Leicestershire police strength: 1997–2004

31 March 1997 1,949

31 March 1998 1,983 + 1.7

31 March 1999 1,993 + 0.5

31 March 2000 1,993 —

31 March 2001 2,033 +2.0

31 March 2002 2,100 + 3.3

31 March 2003 2,114 +0.7

31 May 2004 2,264 + 7.1

(b) Police strength: England 1997–2004

31 March 1997 118,459

31 March 1998 118,139 -0.3

31 March 1999 117,195 -0.8

31 March 2000 115,324 -1.6

31 March 2001 116,440 +1.0

31 March 2002 120,073 +3.1

31 March 2003 124,158 +3.4

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Table 1: Police strength—(a) Leicestershire Constabulary 1997 to 2004, (b) England 1997 to 2004

Police strength¹ Percentage change

31 May 2004 130,272 + 4.9

¹ Source for 1997 to March 2003 is the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS). May 2004 was collected separately outside of the normal data collection arrangements and has not been subject to the same validation as RDS data. All figures are full-time equivalents.

Table 2: Basic Command Unit strength—Leicestershire Constabulary

Basic Command Unit March 2002 March 2003

Central 325.7 415

East 305.5 399

North 279.4 354

South 291.8 —

West 352.5 406

Note

All figures are full-time equivalents

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to the police on the definition of conducting a search of premises immediately after a suspect has emerged, in relation to section 32 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. [186224]

§ Ms Blears
None apart from paragraph 4.2 of Code B of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), Codes of Practice. Paragraph 6 of Code B covers general considerations on searches.

§ Mr. Ivan Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes there have been in police numbers in(a) the Harwich constituency, (b) Tendring district and (c) Essex since 1997. [184995]

§ Ms Blears
The table sets out police strength in Essex since March 1997. Information on the number of officers within Basic Command Units has only been collected from March 2002. It is not possible to identify the number of officers at constituency level. The deployment of officers to Divisions is a matter for the Chief Constable (David Stevens) and within the D (Tendring) Division deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Officer strength

Essex police¹ D (Tendering) Division

31 March 1997 2,961 —

31 March 1998 2,928 —

31 March 1999 2,891 —

31 March 2000 2,806 —

31 March 2001 2,887 —

31 March 2002 2,946 178.2

31 March 2003 3,007 169

31 May 2004 3,130 Not available²

¹Source for 1997 to March 2003 is the Home Office Research. Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS). May 2004 was collected separately outside of the normal data collection arrangements and has not been subject to the same validation as RDS data.

² Basic Command Unit data for 31 March 2004 will be published later in the year.

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§ Mr. Cameron
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there are in(a) the Thames Valley Police Force and (b) Oxfordshire; and how many there were in (i) 2001 and (ii) 1997. [186002]

§ Ms Blears
[holding answer 22 July 2004]: The latest published police service strength figures are contained in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 11/03 and are for the year ending 31 March 2003. Figures for March 2004 will be published later this year.
The number of Special Constables in Thames Valley Police Force for the years requested are as follows:

As at 31 March Number

2003 369

2001 418

1997 656

There are no separate statistics published for the number of Special Constables in Oxfordshire, which area forms part of the Thames Valley Police Force. Deployment of Specials within the Force area is a matter for the Chief Officer.

§ Mr. Paice
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many measures are to be reported by the police under the 2004–05 Statutory Performance Indicators for policing; and how many were to be reported under(a) the 2003–04 Police Best Value Performance Indicator and (b) the Best Value Performance Indicator applicable to police authorities in previous years. [184898]

§ Ms Blears
[holding answer 19 July 2004]: Statutory Performance Indicators (SPIs) for 2004–05 were set by Statutory Instrument 2004/644 under the Local Government Act 1999. In previous years the 1999 Act was used to set "Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs)".
Individual SPIs and BVPIs are based on one or more "component measures". The number of SPIs for 2004–05, plus the number of BVPIs set in previous years, is listed as follows together with an estimate of the number of component measures:

In 2004–05 there were 13 indicators comprised of 36 measures;

In 2003–04 there were 19 indicators comprised of 44 measures;

In 2002–03 there were 21 indicators comprised of 48 measures;

In 2001–02 there were 32 indicators comprised of 47 measures.

Table 1: Police strength—(a) Leicestershire Constabulary 1997 to 2004, (b) England 1997 to 2004
	Police strength¹	Percentage change
(a) Leicestershire police strength: 1997–2004
31 March 1997	1,949
31 March 1998	1,983	+ 1.7
31 March 1999	1,993	+ 0.5
31 March 2000	1,993	—
31 March 2001	2,033	+2.0
31 March 2002	2,100	+ 3.3
31 March 2003	2,114	+0.7
31 May 2004	2,264	+ 7.1
(b) Police strength: England 1997–2004
31 March 1997	118,459
31 March 1998	118,139	-0.3
31 March 1999	117,195	-0.8
31 March 2000	115,324	-1.6
31 March 2001	116,440	+1.0
31 March 2002	120,073	+3.1
31 March 2003	124,158	+3.4

Table 2: Basic Command Unit strength—Leicestershire Constabulary
Basic Command Unit	March 2002	March 2003
Central	325.7	415
East	305.5	399
North	279.4	354
South	291.8	—
West	352.5	406
Note
All figures are full-time equivalents

	Officer strength
	Essex police¹	D (Tendering) Division
31 March 1997	2,961	—
31 March 1998	2,928	—
31 March 1999	2,891	—
31 March 2000	2,806	—
31 March 2001	2,887	—
31 March 2002	2,946	178.2
31 March 2003	3,007	169
31 May 2004	3,130	Not available²
¹Source for 1997 to March 2003 is the Home Office Research. Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS). May 2004 was collected separately outside of the normal data collection arrangements and has not been subject to the same validation as RDS data.
² Basic Command Unit data for 31 March 2004 will be published later in the year.