I welcome, and I am sure that the police service will welcome, the words of support which my hon. Friends the Members for Orpington (Mr. Stanbrook) and Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Griffiths) have expressed for the way in which the police are responding to the challenge they face. The support given to them in this House is amply deserved and fully justified.

We expect a great deal of our police-We look to them to preserve good order in our society, to prevent crime and detect offenders, to respond to the emergencies and disasters which may be visited on us, and to give aid to those in distress. For all the material progress of society, the burdens on the police have increased, not diminished.

This is an opportunity for me on behalf of the Government to say something of what has been done to make the police service strong enough to meet the increased demands on it. It is, after all, one of our prime responsibilities to ensure the efficiency of the police service. But is is well to emphasise at the outset that good policing, whether it is community policing or not, depends on the community as a whole. The police service is not the Government's police service. It is the people's police service. We have an obligation to the community to maintain the strength and efficiency of the service, but without the support and co-operation of the community, however the manner of policing is determined, it could not be as effective as it ought to be.

My hon. Friend the Member for Orpington referred to the numerical strength of the police. At the end of March, the total strength of the police service in England and Wales was 114,543. There were 5,342 vacancies, 4·5 per cent. of the total establishment of 119,885. The partial implementation of the Edmund-Davies report on police pay in July 1978 by the previous Administration, the full implementation by the Government when they came to power in May 1979 and the upgrading of the Edmund-Davies scales in September 1979 have completely transformed the police manpower situation.

Although my hon. Friend feels—and I can understand his feeling—that we still do not have enough police, I believe that it is important to put on record the change that has taken place. There was a net gain of 3,714 from July 1978 to April 1979, 1,192 from April 1979 to August 1979 and 1,858 from August 1979 to March 1980—a total net gain since the report of 6,764.

The report had three main effects. It stimulated recruitment, it brought forward more candidates of higher quality so that many forces have been able to raise their standards of entry and reduce losses during the first few months of service, and it encouraged experienced officers to stay on, to qualify for pension and often to the age limit. Before the report, the police service had been losing too many experienced officers who are essential to effective policing. Those that remained now have a valuable contribution to make in training the large numbers of new officers to the standards that we expect of our police.

It is correct to say that vacancies still exist, and they are not evenly distributed. Of the 43 forces, only eight outside London have deficiencies greater than 4 per cent., and of these three have recently had establishment increases. They have not yet had time to recruit the extra police they can now take on. They include some of the major conurbations, like West Midlands and West Yorkshire, but all eight are making progress towards reaching the establishment level. If, as we hope, the present favourable situation continues, all forces outside London should reach existing establishments within the next 12 months or so.

My hon. Friend rightly pointed out that reaching existing establishment levels is not the end of the matter by any means. In this regard, as in others, we have to pay attention to the need to restrain public expenditure. Therefore, when talking about increasing establishments, we must do so to the extent that is necessary to maintain an acceptable standard of policing. Having said that, it is right to point out that increases of just over 900 were authorised up to March 1980 and further modest but essential increases can be expected in the current financial year.

My hon. Friend specially drew attention to the Metropolitan Police. The Edmund-Davies report made special provision for the London forces and this has considerably helped the Metropolitan Police, which has gained 1,173 men since the report was published. The strength now stands at 22,804. But there are still 3,785 vacancies. Recruitment is now at its highest level ever, and the training school at Hendon is working to full capacity, but it is undoubtedly the case that it will be some time yet before the force reaches its present establishment. That ought to be our first target, and it is certainly one that we very much have in mind.

When examining the effectiveness of the force, one must also examine its size and organisation. With only limited additional resources available, existing resources must be used to best advantage. It is impossible to lay down a standard pattern. Each chief constable, in consultation with his police authority, must work out the best arrangement for the area. Change might be needed in the territorial organisation of the force or in its methods of working. That balance between different types of unit must be considered. The underlying objective is to ensure that police officers are available to serve the community where they are needed and where they can best use their expertise and powers.

The need for the best use of limited resources is perhaps most pressing in the metropolis simply because it is in London that shortage of manpower remains most acute. With my right hon. Friend's support, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is taking steps to restructure his force to release police officers, where possible, from administrative duties. He has recently completed a review of local policing arrangements, designed largely to make officers available for operational street duty. I am glad to say that in this way the Commissioner expects that in due course as many as 1,200 officers will be redeployed Substantial progress towards this target has already been made. That is an encouraging development, which the House will welcome.

My hon. Friend referred to the situation that arose in Bristol at the time of the serious disturbances there. I agree that it is important to ensure that police forces can rapidly call upon sufficient trained officers to deal with such situations. For that reason, my right hon. Friend announced on 28 April that he was asking senior Home Office officials and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the Association of Chief Police Officers to examine thoroughly and urgently the arrangements for handling spontaneous public disorder. My right hon. Friend added that he would publish the results of that review. That shows the Government's serious and urgent concern for the points that arise from that aspect of the Bristol disturbances.

My hon. Friend referred to various matters relating to the powers of the police and evidential matters concerned with the trial of criminal cases. Many if not most, fall within the ambit of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure and we shall take those points seriously in our consideration of the Royal Commission's report.

My hon. Friend referred to the criticism of the "sus" law. The use and value attached to that law vary throughout the country. Before a view is taken about the merits of the present law, it is important to have the benefit of inquiries and the report of the Law Commission on the law of attempt. The extent to which the law of attempt can be changed to take account of an act which cannot be the subject of prosecution for attempt is a factor which we shall wish to consider when deciding what changes, if any, should be made to the "sus" law.

Operation Countryman was also mentioned. I accept that an investigation into allegations conducted in that way and on that scale is of concern. I agree that the appropriate course is for it to be concluded as rapidly as possible. I accept the need to take whatever steps are necessary to bring that about, but it is a complicated investigation, and if justice is to be done to the police officers under examination as much as anyone else it would be wrong to seek to bring it to a precipitate end in a way which did not allow a full investigation to proceed in the right way.

I take note of the comments about complaints against the police. It would be surprising if the morale of officers against whom complaints were made was not affected when the complaint was trivial, malicious or politically motivated. One must also take into account that the investigation of some complaints involves a lengthy process, and it is discouraging for an officer if he or his colleagues are subject to such investigation, especially if suspension is necessary. The police recognise—