asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales of the rank of inspector and above have been convicted of criminal offences resulting in their dismissal during the last five years; and of the officers concerned, how many were of the rank of superintendent or above.

Information about the numbers of police officers dismissed after conviction of a criminal offence in the past four years is given in the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for 1977, page 68. I regret that information about the ranks of the officers is not readily available.