The UK Statistics Authority wrote to Matt Vickers MP about police workforce figures

31 March 2025 · Sir Robert Chote, Chair, UK Statistics Authority

The letter, dated 31 March 2025, replies to correspondence of 6 March 2025. The UK Statistics Authority published it as Letter from Sir Robert Chote to Matt Vickers MP – police workforce figures; it links to 2 official records. Below are 3 passages from the letter in the regulator's own words.

What the UK Statistics Authority wrote

“We examined this and determined that the figures cited by the Minister were published on 22 January 2025 as an annex in the Police workforce: 30 September 2024 bulletin.”

“However, we note that these figures are published management information rather than part of the regular statistics on police numbers, and so were not included or referred to in the separate data tables accompanying the bulletin.”

“We have discussed this approach with Home Office statisticians and will continue to support them in finding the best ways to publish management information outside of regular statistical releases, so that they are readily accessible when ministers and officials use them publicly.”

From Sir Robert Chote, Chair, UK Statistics Authority, letter of 31 March 2025. Read the full letter.

The words the letter quotes

The letter quotes 1 passage from the public record:

“there were 149,769 police officers in March 2024, but in June – when the Conservative Government were still in power – that figure had been reduced by 1,232 to 148,536 officers.”

Source named in the letter: debate on the Police Grant Report on 5 February 2025

Records the letter links to

• debate on the Police Grant Report on 5 February 2025
• Police workforce: 30 September 2024 bulletin

Correspondence

• The letter it answered: Matt Vickers MP to Sir Robert Chote – police workforce figures (6 March 2025)

Related key figures

• Police officer numbers (England and Wales)

More on Matt Vickers.

Receipt