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18 Dec 2006 : Column 1676W—continued

Police

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been paid out in compensation by each police force in each year since 1997. [106590]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 30 November 2006]: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers his Department funded in Avon and Somerset in 2006; and how many his Department has committed to fund in 2007. [104693]

Mr. McNulty: In 2006-07 Avon and Somerset will receive funding from the Home Office towards the costs of 342 police community support officers (PCSOs). In 2007-08 we will provide funding towards the continuation cost of these 342 PCSOs, along with a further sum of £465,000 to help the force manage the wider costs of delivering neighbourhood policing.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances it is permissible for police forces to use non-lethal weapons. [107706]

Mr. McNulty: Once authorised to use less lethal weapons, it is for the individual officer to ensure they act within the law. Under section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, the use of force for the prevention of crime and apprehension of offenders and those unlawfully at large (both by the police and the public) must be ‘reasonable’ in all circumstances. It may be for a court to decide whether the officer’s behaviour was reasonable. Common law also recognises that the use of force may be lawful if it is necessary, for example in self-defence or defence of another.

18 Dec 2006 : Column 1677W

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) spray, (b) stun and (c) other non-lethal weapons may be used by police forces in England and Wales. [107720]

Mr. McNulty: It is for individual chief constables to decide what less lethal weapons are appropriate in local circumstances. There are two different types of incapacitant sprays being used by police forces in England and Wales: 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS) and pelargonic vanillylamide (PAVA). There are also two different models of conducted energy devices being used as less lethal weapons: the M26 Advanced Taser and the X26 Taser. The police may also use the L60A1 Attenuating Energy Projectile (AEP) impact round, fired from the L104A1 37 mm weapon. Individual officers may carry batons of various designs.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) actual and (b) percentage change was in Band D police precept for each police authority area in each of the last 10 years; and what the actual and percentage change was in each area over the 10 year period, ranked in ascending order of percentage change. [106914]

Mr. McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 28 November 2006, Official Report, column 400W.

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each police force cost per head of population in the last period for which figures are available. [107657]

Mr. McNulty: The information requested is set out in the following table:

18 Dec 2006 : Column 1678W

Police force costs per head of population 2005-06
Estimated net expenditure per head of population
Police authority	Total net expenditure 2005-06 estimates( 3 ) (£)	Resident population( 1)	Cost per head of population 2005-06 (£)
Avon and Somerset	240,632,000	1,508,171	159.55
Bedfordshire	87,283,000	573,765	152.12
Cambridgeshire	112,674,000	729,812	154.39
Cheshire	148,604,000	990,323	150.06
Cleveland	114,811,000	554,546	207.04
Cumbria	89,115,000	489,829	181.93
Derbyshire	145,884,000	976,212	149.44
Devon and Cornwall	243,711,000	1,601,215	152.20
Dorset	106,977,000	699,428	152.95
Durham	105,403,000	592,369	177.93
Essex	232,229,000	1,629,647	142.50
Gloucestershire	95,928,000	568,452	168.75
Hampshire	268,094,000	1,797,070	149.18
Hertfordshire	159,458,000	1,040,925	153.19
Humberside	156,909,000	881 ,652	177.97
Kent	256,520,000	1,599,912	160.33
Lancashire	240,365,000	1,429,212	168.18
Leicestershire	146,276,000	938,811	155.81
Lincolnshire	89,864,000	665,270	135.08
Norfolk	126,989,000	810,695	156.64
Northamptonshire	110,200,000	642,708	171.46
North Yorkshire	126,166,000	759,183	166.19
Nottinghamshire	173,367,000	1 ,029,293	168.43
Staffordshire	163,905,000	1,048,973	156.25
Suffolk	98,863,000	678,074	145.80
Surrey	165,407,000	1,064,575	155.37
Sussex	231,282,000	1,506,187	153.55
Thames Valley	325,214,000	2,112,536	153.94
Warwickshire	77,200,000	519,301	148.66
West Mercia	172,791,000	1,173,231	147.28
Wiltshire	92,612,000	622,021	148.89
Shires	4,904,733,000	31,233,398	157.03
Greater Manchester	493,914,000	2,530,956	195.15
Merseyside	307,130,000	1,364,212	225.13
Northumbria	262,015,000	1,392,448	188.17
South Yorkshire	225,363,000	1,272,609	177.09
West Midlands	490,960,000	2,578,387	190.41
West Yorkshire	382,975,000	2,095,862	182.73
Prov Mets	2,162,357,000	11,234,474	192.48
Metropolitan	2,488.300,000	7,379.825	337. 18
Total England( 2)	9,555,390,000	49,847,697	191.69
Dyfed-Powys	80,277,000	498,695	160.97
Gwent	102,311,000	555,300	184.24
North Wales	120,479,000	670,808	179,60
South Wales	227,435,000	1,213,188	187.47
Total Wales	530,502,000	2,937,991	180.57
Total England and Wales	10,085,892,000	52,785,688	191.07
(1) Resident population are 2003 figures. (2) City of London not included as population figures not available. ( 3 ) Source: The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy police statistics (CIPFA).

Prison Service

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which places of detention on the prison estate have (a) seconded, (b) designated and (c) appointed a (i) full-time and (ii) part-time foreign national prisoner co-ordinator or equivalent post; and which foreign national prisoner co-ordinators are available to non-governmental organisations working on prisoner welfare matters. [108225]

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