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5 Dec 2006 : Column 300W—continued

Rural Security

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) special constables and (b) farm, horse, country and poacher watch schemes were in place in rural counties in England and Wales in each year from 1997. [106120]

Mr. McNulty: Data on special constabulary numbers are collected by police force area. They are published annually in Home Office Statistical Bulletins on police strength in England and Wales, which are available in the Library. Figures for the years 1997-2006 are set out in the table.

The Home Office does not collect figures on the number or type of watch schemes in England and Wales. Watch schemes are not required to register with either the Home Office or police service.

5 Dec 2006 : Column 301W

5 Dec 2006 : Column 302W

The total strength( 1 ) for special constables by police force area (1997-2006)
	As at March:
Police force area	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Avon and Somerset	759	621	547	459	400	364	345	305	396	408
Bedfordshire	182	186	154	151	115	118	98	146	209	181
Cambridgeshire	303	320	310	274	218	207	189	193	199	185
Cheshire	475	459	407	350	290	191	161	173	192	225
Cleveland	160	164	126	128	93	85	102	85	66	138
Cumbria	189	198	204	176	156	102	94	77	126	152
Derbyshire	428	380	317	282	275	260	249	301	369	429
Devon and Cornwall	1,148	1,024	918	870	804	689	645	602	582	572
Dorset	289	315	305	298	267	253	214	210	230	264
Durham	184	144	159	157	146	134	94	81	91	109
Essex	634	638	544	483	445	381	371	349	363	439
Gloucestershire	297	276	233	206	183	154	157	155	146	157
Greater Manchester	685	598	523	457	367	338	340	345	380	424
Hampshire	621	698	760	615	462	444	373	346	369	388
Hertfordshire	297	306	238	216	198	206	193	206	226	232
Humberside	340	324	269	246	212	207	157	209	328	330
Kent	589	592	526	436	392	327	286	341	338	306
Lancashire	483	489	449	382	360	363	351	336	319	366
Leicestershire	415	406	316	247	162	143	149	159	181	168
Lincolnshire	271	260	216	195	166	155	139	156	179	166
London, City of	86	76	64	56	43	36	42	54	52	70
Merseyside	401	419	458	476	541	468	503	371	259	345
Metropolitan police	1,714	1,282	1138	758	774	680	692	742	697	1,221
Norfolk	402	337	336	285	259	244	239	241	253	262
Northamptonshire	316	288	230	199	188	177	189	197	242	237
Northumbria	533	400	342	332	300	256	221	169	240	198
North Yorkshire	362	358	276	217	182	185	177	160	173	189
Nottinghamshire	620	558	461	411	335	341	261	295	333	361
South Yorkshire	308	281	246	205	188	206	204	200	204	270
Staffordshire	685	595	468	482	402	384	391	376	409	406
Suffolk	379	397	420	391	349	308	275	266	267	293
Surrey	297	235	224	175	149	187	212	255	289	280
Sussex	472	442	393	352	306	306	303	181	200	197
Thames Valley	656	609	569	472	418	356	369	341	375	327
Warwickshire	381	345	261	260	221	209	190	169	190	211
West Mercia	582	512	515	476	399	339	309	280	263	284
West Midlands	945	889	731	680	617	598	637	715	959	1,021
West Yorkshire	690	589	559	484	415	349	374	403	417	440
Wiltshire	154	149	184	173	152	147	154	169	174	180
Dyfed-Powys	283	254	237	202	191	157	152	151	167	194
Gwent	157	119	113	119	137	142	130	136	144	137
North Wales	341	358	400	247	207	125	133	124	124	136
South Wales	361	366	338	267	254	277	173	218	198	281
Total 43 forces in England and Wales	19,874	18,256	16,484	14,347	12,738	11,598	11,037	10,988	11,918	13,179
(1) Total strength is based on headcount figures.

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