Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on socio-economic diversity within the police force of the requirement for future applicants to the service to have a degree.

It is important that we have a police service which is fit for the future. The new entry routes for police constables introduced by the College of Policing (an undergraduate degree in policing, a degree holder entry programme and a degree apprenticeship) are an important step in ensuring that we provide our police with the skills they need. The new entry routes will also bring consistency: at a time when we are increasing investment in policing and the police are actively recruiting additional officers, ensuring that new recruits across all forces meet the same consistently high standards is vital.

The degree apprenticeship offers new entrants to policing the opportunity to earn a wage while becoming a police constable, with successful candidates acquiring a degree qualification at the end of the learning programme. This is an attractive option for people who want to take the first step in a rich and varied profession, meaning that forces will be able to encourage and maintain access to policing from people from all communities and backgrounds.