To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out his reasons for deciding to increase the establishment of the Gwent police force by one uniformed policeman.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State takes advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary on increases in police establishments generally. A range of factors are taken into account in assessing a force's need for additional officers, such as police to population ratio, the incidence of crime, civilianisation and the effectiveness with which a force is utilising its existing resources. These factors indicated that, for 1992–93, Gwent's need for manpower is not as great as other forces, but my right hon. Friend decided that there was a case for a modest increase in its police establishment.