asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the authorised police establishment in Scotland in every year since 1975 to date, together with the average total number of police employed by police authorities in each of these years.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

Police establishment and strength, Scotland 1975–1982
	Authorised Establishments	Actual Strength
1975	13,145	12,376
1976	13,163	12,317
1977	13,144	12,046
1978	13,166	12,399
1979	13,274	13,214
1980	13,259	13,261
1981	13,262	13,194
1982	13,273	13,221

The figures for 1975–81 are as at 31 December each year: those for 1982 are as at 31 March. The figures include additional regulars, and those for actual strength include officers on national training courses and on central service, who do not count against the authorised establishments.