17. To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet representatives of the Essex Police Authority to discuss the future of the police service in Essex. (77887)

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, has made it clear that he believes the establishment of strategic police forces through the merger of existing police areas is the basis for a reformed, fully effective police service in the future and in particular is the necessary step to enhance the stability of local neighbourhood policing. To that end, I recently met Lord Hannington, Chair of Essex county council to discuss the issues for the Essex area. I can assure you that there is no question of any intent to ride roughshod over concerns raised and I welcome a meeting with representatives from Essex Police Authority.

18. To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the merger of local police forces. (77888)

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, has made it clear that he believes the establishment of strategic police forces through the merger of existing police areas is the basis for a reformed, fully effective police service in the future and in particular is the necessary step to enhance the stability of local neighbourhood policing. To that end, my right hon. Friend recently met the Chair of the Cleveland Police Authority to discuss the issues for the Cleveland area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests were made by police officers in each year since 1997; and what the average number of arrests per police officer was in each year. (74589)

Information on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) can be found in Table AA of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Arrests for Recorded Crime (Notifiable Offences) and the Operation of Certain Police Powers under PACE, England and Wales" which is available on the Research and Development Statistics website www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pubs stastistical. Copies are also available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police recruits have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed during their period of training in each police force in each of the past five years; and what percentage this represents of the total number of recruits in each year. (77428)

The requested information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for judicial review of his decisions on the amalgamation of police forces have been made; and if he will make a statement. (77894)

West Mercia and Cleveland police authorities have made applications for judicial review on the Home Secretary's announced intentions. An application has also been received from West Midlands councils. We are of course disappointed with the authorities' and councils' decision to go down the path of judicial review. We encourage them to use the opportunity for continued dialogue that has just been announced. Beyond that, it would not be appropriate to comment further on a matter that is before the courts.