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25 Apr 2008 : Column 2346W—continued
However, the Home Office does not hold information centrally on the total cost to the police service for counter-terrorism and other national policing work in the format requested. Such data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average (a) total direct staff cost, (b) total operational support cost, (c) total business support cost and (d) total cost excluding sustaining overhead under activity-based costing analysis was for a police investigation of a (i) violence against the person offence, (ii) sexual offence, (iii) robbery, (iv) deception or fraud, (v) drugs offence, (vi) criminal damage and (vii) other crime in each financial year since 2004. [200339]
Mr. McNulty: Information is collected by the Home Office on (a) the total direct staff costs, (b) the total operational support costs, (c) the total business support costs and (d) the total policing costs excluding sustaining overheads for dealing with crime incidents. Values for the offences laid out in the question for England and Wales are set out in the following tables. Table A contains data for the financial year 2006-07, table B for 2005-06 and table C for 2004-05.
| Table A 2006-07—national average of the total policing cost (£), excluding sustaining overheads, of dealing with an incident, broken down by crime and cost type | ||||
| Direct staff costs | Operational support costs | Business support costs | Total costs excluding sustaining overheads | |
| Table B 2005-06—national average of the total policing cost (£), excluding sustaining overheads, of dealing with an incident, broken down by crime and cost type | ||||
| Direct staff costs | Operational support costs | Business support costs | Total costs excluding sustaining overheads | |
| Table C 2004-05—national average of the total policing cost (£), excluding sustaining overheads, of dealing with an incident, broken down by crime and cost type | ||||
| Direct staff costs | Operational support costs | Business support costs | Total costs excluding sustaining overheads | |
| Note: This data excludes Cambridgeshire, which did not return activity based costing data in 2004-05. | ||||
Police: Firearms
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were found guilty of unlawful killing using firearms in each of the last 20 years. [198469]
Mr. McNulty: The requested information is not available centrally.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were (a) shot at, (b) injured by shootings and (c) killed in shootings in each police force area in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [198582]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 1 April 2008, Official Report, column 765W.
Police: Manpower
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent projection is of total police service strength in England and Wales from 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2011. [199579]
Mr. McNulty: Information on police authority projections of police service strength is not routinely collected. It is for chief constables and police authorities to decide how best to use the resources available to them when setting levels of police officers, staff and PCSOs.
Police: Pay
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on performance related pay for police officers; and if she will make a statement. [198490]
Mr. McNulty: Effective pay arrangements for police officers are essential for a modern police service which delivers high standards of community safety and security to the public. Police officers should be fairly and appropriately recognised for the work they do. Superintendent, Chief Superintendent and chief officer pay includes an element related to performance.
Officers are also eligible for bonus payments for specific pieces of work. The Home Office together with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities are considering the issue of police pay structural reform. This work is at a very early stage looking at what the objectives should be for any reform of this nature.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Prime Minister to discuss police pay arrangements; and if she will make a statement. [200359]
Mr. McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is in regular communication with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and other Ministers.
Police: Research
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission a research study similar to that which resulted in the publication of the 2001 study A Diary of a Police Officer. [198619]
Mr. McNulty: There are no plans to commission another study similar to A Diary of a Police Officer. The terms of reference for Sir Ronnie Flanagan's Independent Review of Policing, published in February this year, were designed to identify the drivers of unnecessary bureaucracy in the Police Service and will contribute strongly to the ongoing initiatives and reforms to combat this issue.
Police: Sick Leave
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sick days were taken by police officers taken as a result of assault in each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1997; what the average number of days lost per police officer due to assault was in each year; and what the cost was to each police force of such absences in each year. [198577]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 April 2008, Official Report, columns 1514-15W.
Police: Statistics
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what way the Office for National Statistics is involved in the planning, production and presentation of statistical information relating to the performance of the (a) police, (b) probation and (c) prison services. [198471]
Mr. McNulty: The planning, production and presentation of Home Office national statistics outputs is directly managed by the Home Office Chief Statistician, who as Head of Profession for statistics in the Home Office is directly answerable for professional matters to the National Statistician (who is Head of the Government Statistical Service and is chief executive of the Office for National Statistics).
Performance information used by the department is in most cases based on these national statistics sources as well as other relevant management information. There is a well developed process of consultation with stakeholders both with respect to the Annual Data Requirement for the police and statutory performance indicators used in assessing police performance.
Similar arrangements apply in the Ministry of Justice which is responsible for statistics on probation and prison. National statistics within the Home Office, and across the Government Statistical Service as a whole, are produced in conformance with the National Statistics Code of Practice and its 12 supporting Protocols. These set out all the professional standards which official statistics must meet including those relating to the planning, production and presentation of statistical information. The Home Office’s statement of compliance with the Code and Protocols can be accessed at:
The UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) began operating on 1 April 2008 as a statutory independent body reporting directly to parliament. This body not only has executive control over the Office for National Statistics, but also has oversight of all UK official statistics. It will conduct a comprehensive programme of assessment of national statistics against a revised code of practice that it is now in the process of being developed. The UKSA also has established the new Publication Hub live from 1 April on www.statistics.gov.uk, which will be a one-stop shop for first releases of national statistics, providing statistics which are accessible, clear, and free from political commentary. The existing code of practice can also be downloaded at:
Police: Training
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she issues to chief constables on (a) the provision of health and safety training for police officers and (b) the risks of (i) criminal prosecution and (ii) civil action resulting from insufficient training. [198611]
Mr. McNulty: The Police Health and Safety Benchmarking Standard was funded by the Home Office and published by the Association of Chief Police Officers in May 2007. It builds on previously issued guidance and serves to raise awareness of the need for sufficient health and safety training.
The management of health and safety services, including training, provided for police officers and police staff is the responsibility of individual chief officers and police authorities. These have clearly set out liabilities and duties of care to their personnel in accordance with current Health and Safety legislation and, where it is found that the required duty of care has not been maintained, are liable for prosecution.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to police officers to ensure that suspects are charged appropriately. [199325]
Mr. McNulty: As laid out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, it is the responsibility of the Custody Officer and/or the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to charge suspects and to ensure that there is sufficient evidence to support that charge.
It is the responsibility of the officer dealing with the suspect to present the relevant evidence to the custody officer or to CPS. All police officers undertake legal training as part of the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme, which includes gathering information and intelligence.
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