Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Police Officer Numbers

Monday 14 December 2020 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government committed to recruiting 20,000 police officers by March 2023
  • Avon and Somerset has resources to recruit 137 police officers, with 130 already recruited
  • Kent received an additional 184 police officers, with Matthew Scott recruiting 450 officers over four years

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elliot Colburn
Policing & Resources
Context

The government has a commitment to recruit additional police officers.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to increase the number of police officers. The Government have committed to recruiting 20,000 police officers by March 2023 with almost 6,000 already recruited.

Answer from Priti Patel

The Government have a clear commitment to recruit 20,000 police officers by March 2023. We have made a fantastic start with almost 6,000 additional officers recruited by the end of September.

Answered
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Q2 Jack Lopresti Con
Policing & Resources
Context

Concern over the recruitment rate of police officers in Avon and Somerset.

Question

I welcome the increase in police numbers across the country; it is great news, honouring and delivering on our manifesto commitment. I have been informed that Avon and Somerset seems to be lagging behind a bit on the uplift of police numbers. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that that is not the case?

Answer from Priti Patel

I can assure my hon. Friend that Avon and Somerset has all the resources needed to recruit 137 police officers, with an actual recruitment of 130 funded by £326 million.

Answered
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Q3 Gordon Henderson Con
Policing & Resources
Context

Kent has received additional police officers, but there are questions about the role of the local police and crime commissioner.

Question

I am grateful that the Government have provided Kent with an additional 184 police officers. I commend Matthew Scott for recruiting 450 officers over four years in addition to government funding. Can my right hon. Friend confirm this?

Answer from Priti Patel

I absolutely commend Kent's police and crime commissioner, Matthew Scott, for his recruitment efforts along with the chief constable.

Answered
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Q4 Elliot Colburn
Policing & Resources
Context

Concern about the fair share of new officers for the London Borough of Sutton.

Question

I am delighted that London will also receive an uplift in police numbers. With continued incidence of catalytic converter theft and other crimes, can my right hon. Friend assure me that the London Borough of Sutton will receive its fair share of these new officers?

Answer from Priti Patel

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to bang the drum for Sutton. The Metropolitan police has been allocated an additional 1,369 new officers and £193 million funding increase.

Answered
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Q5 Sarah Jones Lab Croydon West
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The Government's police officer uplift is seen as insufficient to repair damage done by previous Conservative governments.

Question

While the population has grown and violent crime has risen, we have lost nearly half of our neighbourhood PCSOs and over 12,000 police staff roles. The Prime Minister's statement last year that backing the police is crucial goes unfulfilled with no plans to replace these cuts. When will this Government live up to their promise?

Answer from Priti Patel

This Government have put record levels of funding into the police, illustrating day in, day out. We are committed to the recruitment programme with almost 6,000 new police officers recruited.

Partly answered

Not addressed: When will this government replace PCSOs and police staff roles

How: This Government Back The Police

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