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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1464W—continued


21 Apr 2008 : Column 1465W

Cannabis

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to curtail the supply of cannabis seeds available to buy via the internet. [200034]

Mr. Coaker: Cannabis seeds are not illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, although the unauthorised cultivation of cannabis seeds and any subsequent supply and possession of cannabis is unlawful. As I stated in the House on 3 April 2008, the availability of cannabis seeds on the internet is a concern. This matter is kept under regular review, as is any issue associated with the unlawful production of illegal drugs.

Cannabis: Cafes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of her letter of March 27 2008 to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham on the cannabis cafe in Lancing. [198928]

Mr. Coaker: I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the House Library today.

Community Support Officers: Powers

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers have been delegated to police community support officers in each police force area. [198612]


21 Apr 2008 : Column 1466W

Mr. McNulty: The list of powers designated to police community support officers in each force area during 2006-07 is available at:

Similar information for 2007-08 is currently being compiled. This will be published on the Home Office, Police Community Support Officers webpage in May 2008.

Crime: Cambridgeshire

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008, Official Report, column 607W, on crime: Cambridgeshire, how many (a) police officers and (b) police officers per 1,000 of the population there were in each of the areas listed in each year since 1997; and what percentage of time was spent by police officers on (i) frontline policing and (ii) patrolling in each of the areas in each of those years. [196646]

Mr. McNulty: The information requested is as follows:

(a) The available data are given in Table 1.

(b) The available data are given in Table 2.

(i) The information requested has only been collected since 2003-04, and the available data are given in Table 3.

(ii) The information requested for the time spent by each force on patrol is not available as these data are collected by forces for internal management purposes only.

Table 1: Police Officer Strength( 1) (FTE)( 2) by Police Force 1997 to 2007, as at 31 March each year
Police Force 1997( 3) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003( 3) 2004( 3) 2005( 3) 2006( 3) 20 07( 3)

Cambridgeshire

1,302

1,291

1,274

1,237

1,296

1,362

1,384

1,400

1,402

1,430

1,381

Cumbria

1,144

1,164

1,126

1,084

1,048

1,100

1,140

1,222

1,232

1,230

1,244

Devon and Cornwall

2,865

2,962

2,887

2,841

2,934

3,053

3,202

3,283

3,369

3,493

3,476

Durham

1,461

1,515

1,568

1,558

1,595

1,614

1,651

1,685

1,718

1,699

1,683

Gloucestershire

1,133

1,104

1,104

1,114

1,173

1,183

1,227

1,284

1,291

1,289

1,303

Lincolnshire

1,196

1,191

1,140

1,115

1,202

1,198

1,221

1,228

1,221

1,213

1,221

Norfolk

1,432

1,430

1,381

1,381

1,420

1,468

1,499

1,510

1,544

1,557

1,565

North Yorkshire

1,338

1,367

1,337

1,283

1,305

1,417

1,444

1,529

1,543

1,636

1,654

West Mercia

2,040

2,010

2,025

1,887

1,951

2,018

2,256

2,355

2,367

2,351

2,400

Wiltshire

1,154

1,156

1,151

1,118

1,120

1,157

1,158

1,217

1,222

1,219

1,204

Dyfed-Powys

1,005

1,002

1,026

1,040

1,055

1,132

1,149

1,160

1,174

1,182

1,177

North Wales

1,369

1,396

1,391

1,403

1,444

1,506

1,539

1,603

1,652

1,617

1,591

(1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (3) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison.


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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1468W
Table 2: Police Officers( 1) (FTE)( 2) per 100,000 of the population for by police force, as at 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2007
1997( 3) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003( 3) 2004( 3) 2005( 3) 2006( 3) 20 07( 3)

Cambridgeshire

188

184

179

172

179

187

196

197

196

196

187

Cumbria

233

237

229

220

213

224

237

254

256

256

255

Devon and Cornwall

186

192

186

182

187

192

204

208

219

219

216

Durham

240

249

258

256

263

266

281

288

288

288

285

Gloucestershire

205

198

197

200

209

209

219

229

228

228

229

Lincolnshire

196

193

184

179

191

189

191

189

183

183

183

Norfolk

185

184

176

175

178

183

189

190

193

193

191

North Yorkshire

183

186

181

173

175

188

193

203

216

216

217

West Mercia

183

180

180

166

171

176

196

202

202

202

205

Wiltshire

195

195

192

185

184

189

190

198

196

196

192

Dyfed-Powys

212

210

215

217

219

234

237

236

237

237

236

North Wales

208

213

212

213

220

228

234

243

242

242

238

(1). This table is based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2). Figures up to 31 March 2002 exclude staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. The figures for 31 March 2003 onwards figures include those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

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