Written question asked by Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 7 July 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 September 2003. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Monday, 1 September 2003 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent on staff overtime in (a) the police service, (b) the Prison Service and (c) the Probation Service in the last five years for which figures are available. - Including figures. I will write to the hon. Member once I have this information.

Answer: Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on staff overtime in (a) the police service, (b) the Prison Service and (c) the Probation Service in the last five years for which figures are available. [124973] Ms Blears: Figures for the amount spent on overtime in the police service are currently only available centrally for 2001-02 with a total UK spend of £400,392,000. This was made up of £319,620,000 for England and Wales, £26,097,000 for Scotland and £54,675,000 for Northern Ireland. Details of overtime payments for other years have not been aggregated. Figures for overtime paid in the prison service are only available for the year 2002-03 when £12,878,000 was spent. The figures for overtime paid by the National Probation Service are unavailable centrally, as the information is held on an individual basis by each of the 42 Probation Areas. An exercise to establish a central record is under way. I have asked for these overtime figures to be obtained for collation by officials in the National Probation Directorate. I will write to the hon. Member once I have this information.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 124973; 409 c990-1W;409 c988W
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Finance Home Office Police Probation HM Prison Service Overtime National Probation Directorate
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk