To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent Police Service of Northern Ireland review of the retirement age of part-time reserve officers.

I have been informed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland that it has not conducted a review of the age retirement of part-time reserve officers. In accordance with the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve (Part-Time) Regulations 2004, part-time reserve members appointed after 8 February 2004 (the date on which the regulations came into force) shall be retired at age 65. These regulations also contain transitional arrangements for existing part-time reserve members.

These transitional arrangements will allow existing PTR members to move to the new PTR arrangements, subject to receiving appropriate training. I have been informed that the PSNI has written to existing PTR officers who would be or have been subject to possible retirement at age 62 to advise them accordingly.