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Police Manpower

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the manpower of each police force in respect of (a) number of police officers and (b) number of civilian support staff on 1 November for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [8809]

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 16 December 1996]: Information on police strength was collected at the end of each month until April 1995. Data on police service strength are now collected twice a year, March and September. Information for the last five years is in the table.

Between October 1992 and September 1996, the total number of constables in England and Wales increased by 1,692 to 98,017. This is a record high number of constables.

18 Dec 1996 : Column: 721

Police officer and civilian strength 1992 to 1996

Force	31 October 1992(41)		31 October 1993(41)		31 October 1994(41)		30 September 1995(41)		30 September 1996(41)
	Police	Civilians	Police	Civilians	Police	Civilians	Police	Civilians	Police	Civilians
Avon and Somerset	3,068	1,254	3,048	1,338	3,025	1,325	2,986	1,294	3,004	1,315
Bedfordshire	1,129	420	1,157	439	1,123	477	1,116	519	1,118	528
Cambridgeshire	1,262	491	1,278	488	1,270	488	1,254	546	1,253	597
Cheshire	1,888	581	1,858	615	1,913	641	1,951	730	2.016	791
City of London	801	378	878	384	889	332	869	338	868	335
Cleveland	1,490	491	1,430	521	1,442	525	1,430	575	1,444	623
Cumbria	1,192	446	1,205	459	1,179	484	1,144	462	1,124	457
Derbyshire	1,803	635	1,786	657	1,803	670	1,762	751	1,795	737
Devon and Cornwall	2,918	1,182	2,917	1,213	2,885	1,224	2,872	1,237	2,876	1,283
Dorset	1,317	630	1,302	625	1,287	665	1,272	671	1,262	678
Durham	1,390	563	1,379	560	1,357	508	1,377	526	1,426	563
Dyfed Powys	966	287	968	304	980	311	977	335	998	354
Essex	2,963	1,200	2,964	1,279	2,909	1,329	2,897	1,270	2,927	1,400
Gloucestershire	1,154	411	1,144	420	1,171	425	1,142	464	1,139	460
Greater Manchester	7,084	2,693	7,075	2,815	6,980	2,880	7,026	2,904	6,961	2,922
Gwent	1,008	346	996	350	1,004	350	1,006	380	1,231	497
Hampshire	3,269	1,169	3,272	1,212	3,259	1,317	3,307	1,409	3,362	1,429
Hertfordshire	1,690	665	1,693	669	1,691	699	1,704	921	1,721	863
Humberside	2,027	760	2,029	733	2,038	708	2,025	670	2,042	772
Kent	3,099	1,230	3,183	1,228	3,137	1,181	3,100	1,290	3,227	1,332
Lancashire	3,203	1,190	3,149	1,164	3,196	1,243	3,195	1,419	3,203	1,320
Leicestershire	1,846	758	1,829	724	1,835	755	1,860	747	1,933	776
Lincolnshire	1,188	509	1,212	516	1,214	528	1,164	452	1,157	513
Merseyside	4,687	1,757	4,690	1,781	4,688	1,773	4,536	1,797	4,271	1,825
Metropolitan	27,804	16,205	27,695	16.324	27.627	15.767	27.395	16.762	27.049	15,353
Norfolk	1,419	499	1,437	531	1,419	548	1,392	553	1,399	616
Northamptonshire	1,197	467	1,190	518	1,171	500	1,161	492	1,186	583
Northumbria	3,578	1,381	3,595	1,330	3,593	1,397	3,611	1,402	3,693	1,332
North Wales	1,369	491	1,359	507	1,369	484	1,352	472	1,381	554
North Yorkshire	1,411	483	1,349	464	1,323	522	1,311	537	1,334	623
Nottinghamshire	2,343	802	2,360	871	2,345	934	2,314	1,022	2,339	1,058
South Wales	3,182	1,180	3,159	1,279	3,048	1,215	2,954	1,240	2,913	1,233
South Yorkshire	3,013	986	3,022	1,211	3,030	1,283	3,041	1,292	3,128	1,398
Staffordshire	2,196	781	2,194	773	2,207	763	2,190	800	2,220	794
Suffolk	1,240	556	1,224	543	1,209	544	1,158	520	1,159	532
Surrey	1,684	650	1,663	709	1,673	721	1,656	796	1,652	793
Sussex	3,007	1,131	2,977	1,153	2,949	1,182	3,020	1,219	3,097	1,310
Thames Valley	3,843	1,603	3,886	1,647	3,887	1,767	3,760	1,913	3,682	1,972
Warwickshire	1,007	356	1,031	364	1,038	363	983	412	948	406
West Mercia	2,061	967	2,057	969	2,042	995	2,008	1,038	2,011	1,002
West Midlands	6,935	2,717	6,961	2,729	6,991	2,859	7,078	2,957	7,203	2,611
West Yorkshire	5,095	2,034	5,005	2,032	5,036	2,092	5,122	2,149	5,154	2,224
Wiltshire	1,257	523	1,272	516	1,260	501	1,236	521	1,166	514
Total	126,043	53,858	125,878	54,953	125,492	55,275	124,710	57,790	125,050	57,278

(41) Strength information is collected on the last day of the month. Civilian strength includes traffic wardens.

(42) Since April 1995 information on police numbers is collected only twice a year (March and September).

18 Dec 1996 : Column: 723

Disabled Prisoners

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many registered disabled prisoners were in each of Her Majesty's prisons on the last date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [9086]

(2) if he will make a statement on his policy concerning disabled prisoners; [9087]

(3) how many registered disabled offenders were received into custody during each year since 1990 and to date in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [9089]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the Prison Service's policy concerning disabled prisoners, the number of registered disabled offenders who were received into custody during each year since 1990 and to date in 1996, and the number of registered disabled prisoners who were in each of Her Majesty's prisons on the last day for which figures are available.

On 20 November 1996 the Prison Service issued Instruction to Governors 79/1996, entitled "Disability Discrimination Act 1995: Disabled Prisoners and Visitors". This instruction outlines the Prison Service's policy with regard to the provision of goods, facilities and services for disabled prisoners and visitors to establishments. A copy of the instruction is enclosed and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library.

The Prison Service has not, historically, kept records of the number of prisoners who are registered disabled and could therefore only be provided at disproportionate cost. We have recently put in hand a survey of the number of disabled prisoners in our custody, whether registered disabled or not. I shall be pleased to write to you again when we have analysed the results.

Mr. Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons have been adapted to hold (a) disabled prisoners who require wheelchair access and (b) other physically disabled prisoners; what adaptations have been made to the prisons; and if he will make a statement. [9088]

18 Dec 1996 : Column: 724

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about which prisons have been adapted to hold (a) disabled prisoners who require wheelchair access and (b) other physically disabled prisoners.

The practice of the Prison Service is for staff to ensure that the needs of prisoners with disabilities are met on an individual basis, from reception throughout their time in custody. Staff assess their requirements and seek to provide particular facilities depending on the nature of their disability. The construction of facilities for disabled prisoners is part of this process and local minor work e.g. cell modification, will cover most individual needs. For this reason we do not have comprehensive central records of all modifications made to buildings and it is not therefore possible to categorise prisons into those that do or do not have provision for disabled prisoners.

Our standard briefing guides for new buildings provide for access ramps, lifts, toilets, and for circulation routes to be made suitable for the passage of wheelchairs. Wherever practical these guides are also taken into account when existing facilities are refurbished.

Staff

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) permanent and (b) non-permanent staff there have been in (i) his Department and (ii) executive agencies of his Department in each year since 1992. [9666]

Mr. Howard: The tables set out available information for the Home Office and its executive agencies. The information for the agencies has been provided by the chief executives of the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Fire Service College, the Director General of the Forensic Science Service and the Director General of the Prison Service. The information for the non- Prison Service Home Office gives the position as at 20 November and that for the Prison Service gives the position as at 2 December. Non-permanent staff include casuals, certain industrial staff and those staff having neither an established nor a fixed-term employment status.

18 Dec 1996 : Column: 725

For the purpose of producing statistics on civil service staff, fixed-term appointees are regarded as permanent staff, and are, therefore, included in the figures for permanent staff given. Information under (b) for the years prior to 1996 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Table 1: Home Office excluding agencies

	(a) Permanent staff	(b) Non-permanent staff
1996	9,280	373
1995	9,252	--
1994	10,367	--
1993	9,378	--
1992	12.069	--

The 1992 figures predate the formation of the Forensic Science Service as an executive agency: staff who formed the agency on the 1 April 1992 are therefore included in these figures.

Table 2: Forensic Science Service

	(a) Permanent staff	(b) Non-permanent staff
1996	1,197	8
1995	725	--
1994	706	--
1993	646	--

The 1996 figure includes staff joining the FSS from the Metropolitan Police Laboratory. Figures for 1993-95 are taken from MANDATE returns to Cabinet Office.

Table 3: Fire Service College

	(a) Permanent staff	(b) Non-permanent staff
1996	179	9
1995	189	5
1994	181	5
1993	152	--

Figures for 1993 are taken from MANDATE returns to Cabinet Office.

18 Dec 1996 : Column: 726

Table 4: United Kingdom Passport Agency

	(a) Permanent staff	(b) Non-permanent staff
1996	1,525	465
1995	1,411	315
1994	1,352	201
1993	1,474	116
1992	1,304	92

Table 5: Her Majesty's Prison Service

	(a) Permanent staff	(b) Non-permanent staff
1996	(43)40,505	900
1995	39,275	--
1994	38,964	--
1993	38,008	--
1992	33,606	--

(43) The information has been taken from the Prison Service personnel information system which is currently being updated using a new computer system.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for his Department (a) how many people in total are employed, (b) how many of the total number of staff are (i) male and (ii) female and (c) how many (I) men and (II) women are employed on a (1) full-time and (2) part-time basis. [7487]

Mr. Howard: The table sets out the available information for the Home Office and the executive agencies. The information for the agencies has been provided by the chief executives of the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Fire Service College, the Director General of the Forensic Science Service, and the Director General of the Prison Service. This information gives the position as at 16 December. The Prison Service is in the process of transferring to a new establishment-based computer system for the provision of personnel information.

18 Dec 1996 : Column: 725

Area	Male			Female			Total
	Full-time	Part-time	Total	Full-time	Part-time	Total
Home Office Main	4,476	43	4,519	3,616	679	4,295	8,814
Her Majesty's Prison Service	30,219	1,052	31,271	7,058	1,425	8,483	39,754
Forensic Science Service	596	3	599	516	141	657	1,256
Fire Service College	109	1	110	79	8	87	197
United Kingdom Passport Agency	520	24	544	782	234	1,106	1,560
Total	35,920	1,123	37,043	12,051	2,487	14,628	51,581

Home Office figures are for permanent non-industrial staff.

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