Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many operations firearms were issued to police officers in England and Wales in each year since 2005; in how many such operations weapons were discharged by police officers; how many police officers were qualified to carry firearms in each such year; and how many police officers in each police force area were armed while on duty in each such year. [53394]
Nick Herbert: Figures on the police use of firearms are published as part of the annual data requirement. The last figures for 2008-09 were published on 5 March 2010 and can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/police-use-firearms/
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were found guilty of offences of unlawful killing using firearms in each of the last 20 years. [53451]
Nick Herbert: Home Office checks have found no cases of police officers having been found guilty of offences of unlawful killing using firearms in each of the last 20 years.
Police: Harrow
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed in Harrow in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [54310]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 5 May 2011]: Available data relates to police officer strength for Harrow basic command unit from 31 March 2008 to 31 March 2010.
The latest annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin was published in July 2010 and relates to 2009-10. It can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb1410/?view=Standard&pubID=864832
Bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
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Police: Internet
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the integration of IT systems used by (a) police forces and (b) other policing bodies. [53467]
Nick Herbert: As well as an increasing number of national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems that already exist (Annex A), the process of convergence of police IT through the Information Systems Improvement Strategy (ISIS) over the four years of the spending review has already begun.
ISIS will allow forces to purchase standardised ICT services from a smaller number of suppliers. This will mean that police ICT is increasingly integrated, cheaper and better supports interoperability and collaboration between forces.
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Police: Manpower
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of employing police officers as a proportion of the total budget for each police force in England was in each year since 1990. [53386]
Nick Herbert: The information from 2001-02 until 2009-10 (the latest available) is set out in the table.
Information prior to 2001-02 is available only at a disproportionate cost.
| Table showing proportion of total revenue expenditure spent on police officer salaries by individual police forces in England | |||||||||
| Percentage | |||||||||
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
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| Notes: 1. All proportions derived from data from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s annual Police Statistics publication. 2. The suture of funding for police pensions changed in 2006-07 which is likely to be a key reason for the noticeable difference in proportions between 2005-06 and 2006-07. | |||||||||
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilian staff have been employed in England and Wales, broken down by police force area in each year since 2007. [53401]
Nick Herbert: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Police staff (1) strength (2) in England and Wales by police force as at 31 March 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 30 September 2010 | |||||
| As at 31 March | |||||
| Police force | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 30 September 2010 |
| (1) Police stall excludes designated officers, police community support officers and traffic wardens, (2) 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. | |||||
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Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each police force in each year since 2008. [53423]
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Nick Herbert: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Police officer strength in England and Wales by police force as at 31 March 2008, 2009, 2010 and 30 September 2010 | ||||
| As at 31 March | ||||
| Police force | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 30 September 2010 |
| Note: This table contain 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. | ||||
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to police forces on the involvement of serving police officers in recruitment processes for police officers; and which forces (a) do and (b) do not engage serving officers in their recruitment processes. [54257]
Nick Herbert: The involvement of police officers in any part of police officer recruitment process is a matter for the chief officer. Guidance on marking police officer application forms or managing police recruitment assessment centres does not stipulate the involvement of serving police officers.
The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) maintains a database of trained police officer recruit assessment centre assessors which shows that:
(a) 42 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales have reported to the NPIA having police officers who have been trained to assess one or more exercises at the police officer recruit assessment centre.
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(b) Essex police has not reported to the NPIA any police officers trained to assess any of the police officer recruit assessment centre exercises.
It should be noted that the accuracy of the database is dependent upon the accuracy of information passed onto the NPIA by assessors as it is self reported data. The database may also include officers who have trained but who have subsequently left the force. This information does not reflect the levels of deployment or engagement of serving police officers in the police officer recruit assessment centre or any other part of the police officer recruit process.
Police: Overtime
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) total and (b) average overtime payments for police officers were in each police force in England and Wales for each year since 2007-08. [53396]
Nick Herbert: Information about police service expenditure, including overtime, is available on the website of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants:
www.cipfastats.net
Two tables follow: Table 1 shows the past spend on police officer overtime by force; Table 2 calculates overtime spend by officer, based on data from Table 1 and police officer strength recorded in Home Office Annual Data Returns.
| Table 1 : Spend on overtime by force | |||
| £ million | |||
| Spend on officer overtime | |||
| Force | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
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| * Data unavailable Source: Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy | |||
| Table 2 : Overtime spend per officer | ||||||
| Officer strength FTE at 31 March of financial year (1) | Spend per officer (£) | |||||
| Force | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
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| * Data unavailable (1) Source of officer strength data: Home Office Annual Data Returns Note: It should be noted that some officers will claim no overtime during a year, but the Home Office does hold information on the number of these officers. | ||||||
Police: Riot Control Weapons
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of occasions CS gas spray has been used in public order operations by police. [53184]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information.
Police: Rural Areas
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the use of mobile police units in policing rural areas; and if she will make a statement. [53465]
Nick Herbert: Decisions about the policing of rural areas, including the use of mobile police units, are operational matters and are the responsibility of the chief officer of the force concerned.
Police: Training
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officer recruits in England and Wales began residential training in each year since 2006. [53433]
Nick Herbert: No new police officer recruits have begun residential training since 2006.
From 1 April 2006 a new qualification for police constables was introduced called the Diploma in Policing. This qualification is part of the overall Initial Policing Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP), which is managed by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) but delivered locally by each individual police force. The national residential sites for the delivery of police training closed, with effect from May 2006.
Police: Working Hours
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of police hours saved attributable to the introduction of personal digital assistants for police officers. [53478]
Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally. However, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has been evaluating the effect that personal digital assistants have had on police officers' use of time. Findings should be available later in the year.
Prince William: Marriage
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps her Department is taking to protect the wedding of HRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton from terrorist threat; [52178]
(2) what recent discussions she has had on security arrangements for the wedding of HRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton. [52179]
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Nick Herbert: The Secretary of State for the Home Department held a number of discussions on the counter terrorism and public order policing arrangements for the royal wedding, including briefing from senior officers in the Metropolitan Police Service.
However, it is our policy not to provide detailed information on the policing operation or security arrangements. To do so would risk compromising the integrity of those arrangements.
Security: Olympic Games 2012
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firms will be engaged to provide security services during the London 2012 Olympics. [52667]
Nick Herbert: Beyond the responsibilities of the police and security agencies, provision of security services during the 2012 Games are principally a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). On 21 March 2011, LOCOG announced that it had appointed G4S Secure Solutions Ltd as Official Security Service Provider for the Games. G4S's role will cover a range of security provision including search and screening at venue entrances, perimeter and mobile protection, and CCTV monitoring. Rapiscan Systems were appointed on 3 March 2011 as Official Provider of security screening solutions for the Games.
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the readiness of the police and security forces responsible for public protection during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games; and if she will make a statement. [53787]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 3 May 2011]: The Home Office's Olympic and Paralympic safety and security strategy, run by the police, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic games (LOCOG), the Olympic Delivery Authority and other partners, provides a framework for projects to safeguard and secure London 2012. The police and security services already invest significant resource into planning for security and other major risks to the UK, and have considerable expertise in dealing with both threats and incidents. Our approach to the games is intelligence-led and risk-based, giving us the flexibility to respond to any changes between now and 2012. Regular threat assessments inform our risk management process. Threat levels may change rapidly, and by basing the plans against a SEVERE threat level we maximise our flexibility.
Last year the Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism, my noble Friend Baroness Neville-Jones, conducted an audit and review of Olympic security planning, and that concluded that that work is well placed. There is of course more work to be done, but an effective foundation has already been established. We have protected the Olympic security budget, which is in addition to core funding for the police and counter-terrorism.
Teresa Pearce:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Metropolitan Police and (b) security
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forces on the performance indicators for private sector companies contracted to protect the public during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [53831]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 3 May 2011]: The use of private security companies to protect Olympic and Paralympic venues is principally a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). On 21 March 2011, LOCOG announced that it had appointed G4S Secure Solutions Ltd as Official Security Service provider for the Games.
The Home Office is fully involved in monitoring and overseeing all aspects of Olympic preparations and together with the police work closely with LOCOG to provide advice on venue security requirements (including security personnel requirements) and to ensure integration with the wider safety and security operation. The Home Secretary and the Security Minister are closely involved in security planning and attend regular meetings and briefings on the wider security programme.
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to evaluate the competence of private security companies contracted for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and if she will make a statement. [53832]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 3 May 2011]: The use of private security companies to protect Olympic and Paralympic venues is principally a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). On 21 March 2011, LOCOG announced that it had appointed G4S Secure Solutions Ltd as Official Security Service provider for the Games. The Home Office and police work closely with LOCOG to provide advice on venue security requirements (including security personnel requirements) and to ensure integration with the wider safety and security operation. There are robust systems in place for monitoring and overseeing all aspects of Olympic preparations and the Home Office is fully involved in these.
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regarding dissident republican terrorism; [52071]
(2) what recent discussions she has had on the threat to the security of Great Britain from dissident republican terrorists. [52183]
Nick Herbert: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, takes a keen interest in issues related to Residual Terrorist Groups in Northern Ireland, not least given the increase in the threat level posed by Northern Irish Related Terrorism to Great Britain since September 2010. She is regularly briefed on the threat and has meetings with officials and Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to discuss a range of related matters. Details of these meetings cannot be disclosed.
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Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Justice Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive regarding dissident republican terrorism. [52072]
Nick Herbert: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), takes a keen interest in issues related to Residual Terrorist Groups in Northern Ireland, not least given the increase in the threat level posed by Northern Irish Related Terrorism to Great Britain since September 2010. She is regularly briefed on the threat and has meetings with officials and Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to discuss a range of related matters.
Vetting
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many and what proportion of record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau chief police officers in each police force area had entered comments on otherwise clean reports in each year since 2002. [53452]
Nick Herbert: Only the enhanced level Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check will involve a check of information held locally by police forces.
The number and proportion of certificates issued by the CRB for each financial year since 2002-03, where a chief officer of a police force has included information as ‘other relevant information’ and where no other information was included on the certificate can be found in the table as follows. Please note that the following figures represent the number of certificates issued and not the number of applicants as an individual may have been issued with more than one certificate.
| Financial year | Total certificate volumes | Certificates which contained 'other relevant information only’ | Proportion of certificates issued with 'other relevant information' only (percentage) |
Video Conferencing
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will set a target to increase the use of video conferencing by her Department's officials as an alternative to staff travel to meetings. [53450]
Damian Green:
The Home Office encourages staff to avoid unnecessary travel, including through the use of telephone and video conferencing, and to use the most cost-effective means where they do need to travel to a
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meeting. Telephone and video-conferencing arrangements are already used routinely across the Department and further improvements are under way to reduce costs and encourage greater use of these facilities. While there are no current plans to set targets for use of such facilities, the impact of these changes will be monitored.