To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it costs per year to keep a rural police officer in Wales; what was the comparable figure for 1982; and if he will make a statement.
This information is not held centrally. The unit cost for a police officer in Wales in 1982–83 was £15,474, and the estimated unit cost for 1992–93 is £34,924.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rural police officers there are in Wales; what were the corresponding figures for 1980, 1985 and 1990; and if he will make a statement.
Records of deployment of police officers to rural areas are not held centrally.The table gives details of the total strength of the Welsh forces as at 31 December for the years in question:—
| Year | Strength |
| 1980 | 6,260 |
| 1985 | 6,210 |
| 1990 | 6,399 |
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many rural police stations in Wales have been closed this year; how many closed in 1982; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many rural police stations there are in Wales; and what were the corresponding figures for 1980, 1985 and 1990.
Police stations are not formally classified in this way. The opening and closing of individual police stations is a matter for the force concerned.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the recent Audit Commission report on rural police stations in north Wales.
There has been no Audit Commission report dealing specifically with rural police stations in north Wales. The chief constable commissioned a report by the district audit office into the structure of his force. The report has been laid before the police authority and the force is now consulting widely with the local community.