To ask the Secretary of State ror the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of policemen in Hertfordshire who would become available for operational duties if the police authority adopted the best practice on civilianisation.

Of the 819 "key posts" in the Hertfordshire constabulary, 551—or 67·3 per cent.,—have been civilianised. A number of forces have achieved rates at 80 per cent. or more. Although there is not necessarily an exact correlation between the number of posts civilianised and the number of officers thereby released for operational duties, it is reasonable to assume that if Hertfordshire were to civilianise 80 per cent. of "key posts", some 100 further officers could be released for operational duties.