To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the payment of a bounty or other remuneration to encourage recruitment of special constables.

This has been considered a number of times by the Police Advisory Board, most recently in October 1988, and the conclusion each time was that an incentive award (bounty) was not necessary. However we are asking the board to consider the option of running pilot schemes on an experimental basis in some forces when it discusses further initiatives to strengthen the special constabulary on 27 February.