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Written question asked by Caroline Spelman (Conservative) on Thursday, 16 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 March 2006. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Thursday, 23 March 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Special Constables

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in each police force area in each year since 1997.
Answer

The information is set out in the following table. Data on special constabulary numbers is published annually in Home Office Statistical Bulletins on police strength in England and Wales, which are available in the Library. Figures for March 2006 will be published later this year.

The total strength for special constables by police force area (1997—2005)(58)
March
Police force area 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Avon and Somerset 759 621 547 459 400 364 345 305 396
Bedfordshire 182 186 154 151 115 118 98 146 209
Cambridgeshire 303 320 310 274 218 207 189 193 199
Cheshire 475 459 407 350 290 191 161 173 192
Cleveland 160 164 126 128 93 85 102 85 66
Cumbria 189 198 204 176 156 102 94 77 126
Derbyshire 428 380 317 282 275 260 249 301 369
Devon and Cornwall 1,148 1,024 918 870 804 689 645 602 582
Dorset 289 315 305 298 267 253 214 210 230
Durham 184 144 159 157 146 134 94 81 91
Essex 634 638 544 483 445 381 371 349 363
Gloucestershire 297 276 233 206 183 154 157 155 146
Greater Manchester 685 598 523 457 367 338 340 345 380
Hampshire 621 698 760 615 462 444 373 346 369
Hertfordshire 297 306 238 216 198 206 193 206 226
Humberside 340 324 269 246 212 207 157 209 328
Kent 589 592 526 436 392 327 286 341 338
Lancashire 483 489 449 382 360 363 351 336 319
Leicestershire 415 406 316 247 162 143 149 159 181
Lincolnshire 271 260 216 195 166 155 139 156 179
London, City of 86 76 64 56 43 36 42 54 52
Merseyside 401 419 458 476 541 468 503 371 259
Metropolitan Police 1,714 1,282 1,138 758 774 680 692 742 697
Norfolk 402 337 336 285 259 244 239 241 253
Northamptonshire 316 288 230 199 188 177 189 197 242
Northumbria 533 400 342 332 300 256 221 169 240
North Yorkshire 362 358 276 217 182 185 177 160 173
Nottinghamshire 620 558 461 411 335 341 261 295 333
South Yorkshire 308 281 246 205 188 206 204 200 204
Staffordshire 685 595 468 482 402 384 391 376 409
Suffolk 379 397 420 391 349 308 275 266 267
Surrey 297 235 224 175 149 187 212 255 289
Sussex 472 442 393 352 306 306 303 181 200
Thames Valley 656 609 569 472 418 356 369 341 375
Warwickshire 381 345 261 260 221 209 190 169 190
West Mercia 582 512 515 476 399 339 309 280 263
West Midlands 945 889 731 680 617 598 637 715 959
West Yorkshire 690 589 559 484 415 349 374 403 417
Wiltshire 154 149 184 173 152 147 154 169 174
Dyfed-Powys 283 254 237 202 191 157 152 151 167
Gwent 157 119 113 119 137 142 130 136 144
North Wales 341 358 400 247 207 125 133 124 124
South Wales 361 366 338 267 254 277 173 218 198
Total 43 forces in England and Wale 19,874 18,256 16,484 14,347 12,738 11,598 11,037 10,988 11,918
(58) Total strength is based on headcount figures.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
60104; 444 c614-6W;444 c614-6W
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Staff Special constables
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk