Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) serving and (b) retired police personnel have died by suicide in each year since 1997.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.
The Office for National Statistics publish data on suicide by occupation in England. The latest release can be found here:
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) serving and (b) retired police personnel have been diagnosed with work related (i) stress, (ii) depression, (iii) anxiety and (iv) PTSD in each year since 1997.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to create a day of recognition for the service and sacrifice of police force personnel; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government deeply values the dedication and sacrifice of police force personnel up and down the country.
The Home Office fully supports a number of memorials, including the existing National Police Memorial Day, the UK Police Memorial and the annual Emergency Services Festival of Thanksgiving and the UK’s Emergency Services Day (999 Day). The Home Office does not currently plan to create a further day of recognition for the service and sacrifice of police force personnel.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of physical and mental health and rehabilitation services to police officers and staff to enable them to return to full duties.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government takes the issue of police welfare very seriously and has invested in programmes which offer help directly to officers and staff. In July 2017 the Home Office awarded £7.5 million from the Police Transformation Fund to the College of Policing over three years to pilot and, if these pilots were successful, roll out a dedicated national service to help provide enhanced welfare support to serving police officers and staff.
Following two years of development and piloting, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) was launched in April 2019. The NPWS has developed evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces, as well as individual officers and staff.
In July 2018, we launched ‘A common goal for police wellbeing – to be achieved by 2021.’ This requires that by 2021, policing will ensure that every member of the police service feels confident that their welfare and wellbeing is actively supported by their police force throughout their career. The goal was published by the Home Office and jointly owned by a number of different or-ganisations, including Public Health England. This goal represents the result of six months of engagement by the Home Office with policing partners and health experts, setting out a shared vision for ensuring police officers and staff have the support they need to flourish.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the number of police officers and staff working for long periods of intensity and stress beyond their contracted working hours.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the work/life balance of serving police personnel.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Police forces have a statutory duty to manage the working time and welfare of officers, including collecting and monitoring good management data to help them make the best decisions to ensure the welfare of all officers and staff.
Officers can request to work flexibly, which can help them manage their home life commitments. The College of Policing encourages forces to have flexible working policies in place with a range of options available that support the needs of officers and operational demands.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that police personnel with primary caring responsibilities have access to flexible working.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Police forces have a statutory duty to manage the working time and welfare of officers, including collecting and monitoring good management data to help them make the best decisions to ensure the welfare of all officers and staff.
Officers can request to work flexibly, which can help them manage their home life commitments. The College of Policing encourages forces to have flexible working policies in place with a range of options available that support the needs of officers and operational demands.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of work days lost by police personnel on sick leave due to (a) stress, (b) depression, (c) anxiety and (d) PTSD in each year since 1997.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the average annual number of police personnel who are unable to return to duties following work-related (a) physical and (b) mental illness.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will create a police covenant to provide retired and serving police personnel with the same level of support and respect as armed forces personnel.
Answered by Nick Hurd
This Government could not be clearer about the value we place on the role of police officers in cutting crime and keeping our local communities safe. We owe our police officers and staff a debt of gratitude for the courage, commit-ment and dedication they demonstrate in carrying out their duties.
The Government takes the issue of police welfare very seriously and has invested in programmes which offer help directly to officers and staff. In July 2017 the Home Office awarded £7.5 million from the Police Transformation Fund to the College of Policing over three years to pilot and, if these pilots were successful, roll out a dedicated national service to help provide enhanced welfare support to serving police officers and staff. Following two years of development and piloting, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) was launched in April 2019. The NPWS has developed evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces, as well as individual officers and staff.
In July 2018, we launched ‘A common goal for police wellbeing – to be achieved by 2021.’ This requires that by 2021, policing will ensure that every member of the police service feels confident that their welfare and wellbeing is actively supported by their police force throughout their career. The goal was published by the Home Office and jointly owned by a number of different or-ganisations, including Public Health England. This goal represents the result of six months of engagement by the Home Office with policing partners and health experts, setting out a shared vision for ensuring police officers and staff have the support they need to flourish.