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2 Nov 2009 : Column 694W—continued
Police: Helicopters
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many helicopters are available for use by each police force. [297183]
Mr. Hanson: The following table shows helicopters that are currently available for use by each police force in England and Wales.
As can be seen from the table a number of police forces work in formal, shared-cost, consortia to provide an air support service across all contributing police forces.
| Force | Consortium name | Forces | Helicopters |
| (1) The superscripts represent a brace. | |||
Police: Pay
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief constables received bonus payments for meeting his Department's targets in each year since 1997; how much was paid in such bonus payments in each of those years; and what plans he has for the future of the bonus system. [296424]
Mr. Hanson: Decisions on chief officer bonus payments are a matter for the police authority, in line with criteria agreed by the Police Negotiating Board in 2005 and set out in PNB Circular 2005/3. I have arranged for a copy of this Circular to be placed in the House Library. Data on the bonuses paid to chief constables are not held centrally. Any proposal for changes to the nationally agreed chief officer bonus arrangements would need to be considered by the Police Negotiating Board.
Police: Public Appointments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whom police authorities are required to consult before they appoint a chief constable; what regulations govern such appointments; and if he will make a statement. [296637]
Mr. Hanson: Police authorities appoint chief constables subject to the approval of the Home Secretary and to police regulations, and involving the regional HM Inspector of Constabulary. Other consultation, consistent with good recruitment practice, is a matter for the police authority.
Regulation 11 of the Police Regulations 2003, as amended by the Police (Amendment) Regulations 2006, covers the appointment of senior officers.
Police: Tamworth
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers there were in each year since 1997 and (b) police community safety officers there have been in each year since 2002 in Tamworth constituency. [296110]
Mr. Hanson: The available data are provided in the following table.
Police personnel statistics are not collected centrally at constituency level, but have been collected at Basic Command Unit level from April 2002.
| Police officers and PCSOs in Trent Valley Basic Command Unit, as at 31 March( 1,2,3) | ||
| Police officers | PCSOs | |
| (1) PCSO figures are as at 30 June. (2) Not available. Notes: 1. Data at Basic Command Unit level have been provided, since data are not collected centrally at constituency level. 2. These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. Data on police strength by police Basic Command Unit was collected centrally for the first time for the period beginning April 2002. However, in 2003 Staffordshire were unable to provide data at BCU level. Therefore, data are not available prior to 31 March 2004. | ||
Radicalism: Internet
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget his Department has allocated to tackle the spread of extremism on the web. [292787]
Mr. Hanson: A wide range of work is being undertaken to prevent the spread of extremism including hate crime and terrorism on the web. Work is also being undertaken by the police. It is not possible to give comprehensive figures for the resources allocated to this.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisations his Department is working with to prevent the spread of extremism on the web; and if he will make a statement. [292788]
Mr. Hanson: The strategy to tackle the use of the internet by terrorists and violent extremists is delivered by a wide range of organisations, including a number of Government Departments and agencies, the police, and, crucially, community activists. The internet is a tool which terrorists and violent extremists may seek to use across the range of their activities. We are determined to work with all these partners to make the internet a more hostile environment for them.
Furthermore, in September 2009 the Government launched their Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan. This sets out work to improve responses to all types of hate crime, including incitement to hatred that
occurs on the internet. It includes actions to update police guidance and structures to ensure effective, robust responses to internet hate crime.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which industry partners he has had discussions on preventing the spread of extremism on the web. [292789]
Mr. Hanson: A range of industry representatives attended a ministerial meeting in February 2008 to discuss ways in which the Home Department might work together with industry partners to tackle online radicalisation. The focus of efforts since has been informed by that discussion, reflecting companies' concerns and priorities and Government's desire to take a proportionate and evidence-based approach. Officials continue to hold constructive discussions with industry to develop existing work and explore other options. It would not be appropriate to name the companies involved in these voluntary discussions.
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