To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to issue the consultation paper on compensation arrangements for special constables; who is being consulted; what is the deadline for consultation; and when he plans to bring forward legislation. [11724]
We intend to issue the consultation paper in September, and shall invite the police representative bodies, the Local Government Association, and the working group on the special constabulary to submit comments by the end of October. Subject to these consultations, our aim is to introduce these new arrangements as part of a revised and consolidated set of regulations for special constables, to be made next year under the Police Act 1996.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there have been in post in each year since 1979. [11354]
[holding answer 29 July 1997]: The number of special constables in post in England and Wales since 1979 are given in the table.
| Year | Number |
| 1979 | 15,960 |
| 1980 | 15,108 |
| 1981 | 14,978 |
| 1982 | 15,160 |
| 1983 | 15,331 |
| 1984 | 16,012 |
| 1985 | 16,161 |
| 1986 | 16,070 |
| 1987 | 16,209 |
| 1988 | 15,788 |
| 1989 | 15,589 |
| 1990 | 15,881 |
| 1991 | 18,073 |
| 1992 | 19,243 |
| 1993 | 20,566 |
| 1994 | 20,096 |
| 1995 | 20,026 |
| 1996 | 19,736 |
| 19971 | 19,836 |
| 1 The figure for 1997 is provisional. The figures from 1979 to 1994 were recorded as at 31 December of those years. From 1995, the figures were recorded as at 31 March. | |