Plain clothes allowance was paid at an annual rate to officers below the rank of assistant chief constable who were required for a continuous period of not less than a week to do duty in plain clothes. From April 2003 the annual rate was £129. An officer below the rank of superintendent who was required to perform duties in plain clothes for not less than 40 hours in any six month period was paid a plain clothes allowance for these duties at an hourly rate of 6.5p. The rates payable from April 2003 were half those paid in the preceding year and entitlement to a plain clothes allowance ceased entirely with effect from 31 March 2004. No assessment has been made of the cessation of this allowance.