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10 Mar 2003 : Column 70W—continued
Metropolitan Police
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what surveys his Department has made of the views of people living within the Metropolitan police area on the efficiency of the police force; and if he will make a statement. [100603]
Mr. Denham: The British Crime Survey asks all respondents a general question regarding how good a job they think the police are doing. Findings for this question are available by police force area and therefore for the Metropolitan police area. The latest findings from this question have been published in "Crime in England and Wales 2001–02: Supplementary Volume 01/03" (table 8.03). A copy can be found in the Library. These results can also be found in the Police Performance Monitoring 2001–02 publication.
Office for Civil Nuclear Security
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role was played by the Government's Office for Civil Nuclear Security in the preparation of the
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"National Guidance on Decontamination Following the Accidental or Deliberate Release of Dangerous Material", published on 3 February 2003; and what steps he has taken to publicise this guidance to relevant bodies and individuals. [96922]
Mr. Denham: Advice on civil nuclear issues to inform the "Strategic National Guidance on the Decontamination of People Exposed to CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Substances or Material" was obtained through the Department of Trade and Industry.
Following the written ministerial statement I made on 3 February 2003, Official Report, column 3WS, a press release announcing the publication of the guidance was issued. The document has been placed on the Home Office and UK Resilience websites. Stakeholder organisations, including Government Departments, the emergency services and local government have been asked to ensure that their members are made aware that copies of the guidance can be downloaded and to place links to the document on their own websites. Notification of the publication has also been sent directly to Emergency Planning Officers.
Police
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of policing (a) the Iraq demonstration on 15 February and (b) the last Countryside Rally in London. [101145]
Mr. Denham: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the total cost of policing the 'Stop the war' demonstration on 15 February was £965,238 and the total cost of policing the Countryside Alliance Mass Lobby of Parliament on 16 December 2002 was £163,000.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on administration by each English police authority in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [99880]
Mr. Denham: The information is not held centrally.
Mr. Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are in each police force area in England and Wales; and how many (a) police officers and (b) civilian support staff there were in England and Wales in each year since 1996. [100803]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is provided in the tables. By 31 March 2002, police service strength had reached the record number of 129,603, on track for the Government's targets of 130,000 by March 2003 and 132,500 in 2004.
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| Year as at 31 March | Police officers | Civilian support staff |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 126,901 | 52,933 |
| 1997 | 127,158 | 53,011 |
| 1998 | 126,814 | 52,975 |
| 1999 | 126,096 | 52,465 |
| 2000 | 124,170 | 52,588 |
| 2001 | 125,682 | 53,575 |
| 2002 | 12.9,603 | 58,022 |
Source:
Home Office Statistical Bulletins—Police Service Strength—1996–02
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommendations have been made by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary on the optimum number of probationers as a proportion of overall office numbers within a police force. [100690]
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of (a) officers, (b) constables and (c) police area constables were probationers in each police force in each year since 1998–99. [100730]
Mr. Denham: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has provided the information in the table. Police area constable is not a recognised category. The
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proportion of probationers has been rising as a consequence of the very substantial increase in recruitment that began in 2000–01. As a result of that increased recruitment, by 31 March 2002, police service strength had reached the record number of 129,603, on track for the Government's targets of 130,000 by March 2003 and 132,500 in 2004.
| 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probationers as a percentage of: | ||||
| Force | All ranks | Constables | All ranks | Constables |
| Avon and Somerset | 6.5 | 8.4 | 5.4 | 6.9 |
| Bedfordshire | 7.4 | 9.4 | 6.4 | 8.2 |
| Cambridgeshire | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 |
| Cheshire | 8.4 | 10.8 | 6.1 | 8.0 |
| City of London | 4.8 | 6.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Cleveland | 5.2 | 6.5 | 4.4 | 5.6 |
| Cumbria | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
| Derbyshire | 6.2 | 8.2 | 6.7 | 8.7 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 7.9 | 10.2 | 4.8 | 6.1 |
| Dorset | 7.3 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 8.5 |
| Durham | 11.9 | 15.2 | 8.5 | 10.8 |
| Dyfed-Powys | 6.7 | 9.0 | 6.2 | 8.4 |
| Essex | 6.4 | 8.4 | 5.2 | 6.7 |
| Gloucestershire | 7.7 | 9.8 | 11.4 | 14.7 |
| Greater Manchester | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| Gwent | 6.2 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 10.9 |
| Hampshire | 8.2 | 10.5 | 6.5 | 8.4 |
| Hertfordshire | 7.4 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 15.1 |
| Humberside | 5.3 | 6.9 | 4.0 | 5.2 |
| Kent | 7.4 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 10.5 |
| Lancashire | 5.3 | 7.0 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| Leicestershire | 9.4 | 11.8 | 7.5 | 9:3 |
| Lincolnshire | 3.7 | 4.9. | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Merseyside | 7.7 | 9.8 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Metropolitan Police | 10.0 | 12.9 | 7.7 | 10.0 |
| Norfolk | 5.1 | 6.6 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Northamptonshire | 4.9 | 6.2 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Northumbria | 11.5 | 14.6 | 7.7 | 9.8 |
| North Wales | 7.1 | 9.3 | 7.2 | 9.5 |
| North Yorkshire | 5.8 | 7.6 | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| Nottinghamshire | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 5.4 |
| South Wales | 9.1 | 11.7 | 8.9 | 11.6 |
| South Yorkshire | 6.8 | 8.8 | 7.1 | 9.3 |
| Staffordshire | 10.1 | 13.2 | 3.0 | 3.9 |
| Suffolk | 10.4 | 13.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Surrey | 11.4 | 14.8 | 16.2 | 20.7 |
| Sussex | 7.9 | 10.4 | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| Thames Valley | 10.4 | 13.4 | 8.6 | 11.0 |
| Warwickshire | 9.1 | 11.6 | 6.8 | 8.6 |
| West Mercia | 4.2 | 5.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| West Midlands | 12.0 | 14.8 | 9.4 | 11.6 |
| West Yorkshire | 3.8 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Wiltshire | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 1.8 |
10 Mar 2003 : Column 74W
Mr. Lidington: 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. [100731]
Mr. Denham: No central records are kept of the overall cost of employing, training and developing a police officer, which is the responsibility of the Chief Officer of each force.
However, when payment rates were agreed for new recruits to be taken on through the Crime Fighting Fund (CFF) provision was made for pay-related costs, recruitment and for the residential element of foundation training. The current CFF payment rates are set out in the table. This does not account for the full cost of training and developing a probationary constable.
| Pay-related costs | Training | Recruitment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment per officer at £ per annum | Payment per officer at £ | ||
| Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Thames Valley Police | 28,298 | (12)7,000 | 1,056 |
| Bedfordshire, Hants, Sussex Police | 27,208 | (12)7,000 | 1,056 |
| Metropolitan Police Service | 32,542 | (12)7,000 | 1,056 |
| City of London Police | 32,542 | (12)7,000 | 1,056 |
| All other forces | 26,118 | (12)7,000 | 1,056 |
(12) Paid to Centrex
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