Written question asked by John Pugh (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 30 April 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 May 2009. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 June 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Police Community Support Officers: Costs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much police community support officers cost in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Answer: The Home Office does not collect this information but makes an annual contribution towards the cost of Police Community Support Officer (PCSOs) as part of the specific grant payable to police authorities in England and Wales for Neighbourhood Policing. For 2009-10 the grant will amount to £332 million in total, of which £294 million is specifically provided to support the costs of PCSOs.Information gathered independently of the Home Office and published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) indicates that for 2007-08, the cost of salaries, allowances and national insurance for PCSOs in England and Wales was £417 million.

Secondary information