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29 Sep 2008 : Column 2352W—continued
Police Patrolling
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time spent by a police officer on street patrol in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England and Wales was in each of the last 10 years. [224072]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 17 September 2008]: Information on time spent on patrol by police officers has only been collected since 2003-04. Values for Northamptonshire are set out in table A and values for England and Wales in table B.
Time spent on patrol refers only to time when an officer is patrolling, but engaged in no other duty. Activity (such as advice to a member of the public) carried out while on patrol is recorded separately. The percentage of time spent on patrol needs to be considered alongside other activities. We use the front-line policing measure to provide a fuller picture of police officer activity, and figures for this measure for England and Wales are also given in the tables.
The measure assesses time spent by police officers on core policing duties such as patrol, responding to 999 calls, as well as activities of CID and specialist officers. While these officers are not always visible to the public, they are none the less carrying out core policing duties.
I am told by Northamptonshire police that they have invested significantly in proactive crime fighting activities to address serious and organised crime, major crime and terrorism. This focused activity has contributed to a reduction in crime for the people of Northamptonshire, but is not included in time on patrol.
I am also told that in Northamptonshire, police responses to incidents requiring a rapid emergency response have risen by 20 per cent. This represents almost 9,000 more prioritised emergency responses to the public in 2007-08 compared to 2004-05. Public satisfaction at police response to incidents in Northamptonshire is also rising, and public confidence in policing in
Northamptonshire (as measured by the British crime survey) has risen by almost 10 per cent. in the past 18 months.
| Table A: Time spent on patrol and front-line policing measure, Northamptonshire, 2003-04 to 2007-08 | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Time spent on patrol( 1, 2) | Front-line policing measure( 3) | |
| Table B : Time spent on patrol and front-line policing measure, England and Wales , 2003-04 to 2007-08 | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Time spent on patrol( 1, 2) | Front-line policing measure( 3) | |
| (1) Data was not collected before 2003. The information is taken from activity analysis, which is collected by all forces over a two-week period in each year and provides a snapshot of how officers are deployed. (2) Includes only officers on foot/car/beat patrol, CID and traffic officers. These values exclude PCSOs. (3) Data was not collected before 2003. 2007-08 data not yet available. (4) Data does not include Derbyshire and Staffordshire. | ||
Police: Greater London
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much on average it costs to employ a police constable in the London borough of (a) Newham, (b) Hackney and (c) Tower Hamlets annually. [223527]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Average pay and pay-related cost of employing a full-time police officer (of rank sergeant or below) are calculated based on the 2006-07 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) at regional level. This information is not available at police force area level.
It has been estimated that the average pay and pay related cost of employing a full-time police officer in 2006-07 was approximately £45,830 in England and Wales.
The cost of training and non-pay related costs such as premises, supplies and transport are not included in this estimate.
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the capital spend on the police service in the London boroughs of (a) Newham, (b) Hackney and (c) Tower Hamlets was in each of the last five years. [223530]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 15 September 2008]: The information requested is not held centrally.
The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Commissioner, who are responsible for assessing local needs.
Police: International Co-operation
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 April 2008, Official Report, columns 119-21WS, on the Justice and Home Affairs Council, (1) how many times UK officers have been part of joint investigation teams performing operations in other member states in the last five years; [219490]
(2) how many times joint investigation teams have performed operations in the UK in the last five years; [219491]
(3) what powers European police officers acting as part of the joint investigation teams have on UK territory. [219492]
Jacqui Smith: We are aware of just one joint investigation team operation having been established under the provisions of the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters 2000 involving United Kingdom law enforcement. This was a joint United Kingdom and Netherlands drugs investigation which took place in 2005, to which there was a successful outcome.
All members of a joint investigation team would be subject to the laws of the country in which the team is operating. Law enforcement officials from another member state act in a support and advisory capacity and would not have police powers when the team is operating in the United Kingdom. Teams operating in the United Kingdom would be under the strict control of a United Kingdom team leader.
Police: Labour Turnover
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in the number of full-time police officers in Bolton North East has been since 1997. [223670]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 15 September 2008]: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Data on police personnel strength are collected by police force area, and have additionally been collected by Basic Command Unit (BCU) level from 2003 onwards.
The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Greater Manchester police has increased by 14.6 per cent., between 31 March 1997 and 31 March 2008.
The number of FTE police officers in the Bolton BCU has increased by 3.0 per cent., between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2008.
Police: Manpower
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each police force in each of the last 10 years; and how many police officers there were per 1,000 population in each police force area in each year. [223630]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 15 September 2008]: The information requested is published in the annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin series “Police Service Strength, England and Wales”, copies of which are available online and in the Library of the House.
The latest bulletin contains data correct as at 31 March 2008, and can be downloaded from:
Table 4 shows police officer strength by force and the number of police officers per 100,000 population.
Police: Public Participation
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent she plans to implement the recommendations contained in the report by Louise Casey, “Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime”. [223503]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Following the Casey review, the Home Secretary announced that we will immediately take forward Community Champions, and the Policing Green Paper "From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing Our Communities Together" sets out our response in more detail. This includes the police service commitment to implement crime maps for every area and the new standard for the police service—The Policing Pledge—by the end of the year. The Government have appointed Louise Casey to a new role of Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Adviser based in the Home Office to help implement her proposals.
Racially Aggravated Offences
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racially-motivated crimes were recorded in each police force area in each of the last five years. [223522]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 15 September 2008]: The available statistics relate to racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded by the police and are given in the following table. It is not possible to separately identify those of a racial nature from those of a religious nature.
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