Police Recruitment (Hampshire)

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 2 July 2001.

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Photo of Desmond Swayne Desmond Swayne Shadow Spokesperson (Defence) 2:30, 2 July 2001

The Minister will be aware that crime in Hampshire is rising—it is up by 7 per cent. Notwithstanding what he said, there are fewer police officers in Hampshire than there were at the time of the 1997 election: we are running faster just to stand still. The Minister knows that the recruitment of officers under the crime fighting fund last year had to be deferred to this year because officers of the right calibre could not be found. Does that surprise him, given that a trainee manager at a McDonald's restaurant can earn more than a Hampshire police recruit?