Monday Volume 532 12 September 2011 No. 198 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 12 September 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 735 12 SEPTEMBER 2011 736 Rachel Reeves: With savage cuts to West Yorkshire House of Commons police, including 750 fewer police officers and up to 1,500 fewer support staff, how does the Home Secretary Monday 12 September 2011 think that tackling burglary in Leeds will be improved over the next few years? The House met at half-past Two o’clock Mrs May: In relation to policing, we are ensuring not only that police have the tools and powers that they need to deal with issues out on the street, but that they PRAYERS are freed up from a lot of the bureaucracy that was introduced by the previous Government, which kept [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] too many police officers behind desks and not out on the streets. Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con): Will my Oral Answers to Questions right hon. Friend assure me that she will not be seduced by the argument that, inevitably, more police officers means more visibility? The fact remains that there are more police on patrol on Monday morning than on HOME DEPARTMENT Friday night, and that only 12% of officers are available at any one time to be visible to the British public. Will The Secretary of State was asked— she tell the House what she will do to ensure that we get visibility from existing police numbers? Police Numbers Mrs May: I thank my hon. Friend for his comments, 1. Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab): What estimate and he is absolutely right. He has put particular focus she has made of the change in the number of police on this issue over the years and has looked into it in officers during the comprehensive spending review some detail. It is not just a question of numbers, as it is period. [70925] often portrayed by Opposition Members; it is about how police officers are deployed. It is about getting 13. Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab): What her them out on the streets at the time that they are most policy is on the future size of the police officer work needed. As my hon. Friend has seen in the past, a lot of force. [70938] that is about reducing the bureaucracy that police officers deal with, reducing the targets, and letting them get out The Secretary of State for the Home Department there on the streets. (Mrs Theresa May): With permission, may I briefly update the House in relation to the appointment of the Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): Is the Home new Metropolitan Police Commissioner? The Mayor of Secretary aware that, in Northamptonshire, the chief London and I conducted interviews with the candidates constable is transferring police officers from the back this morning, and I expect to make a recommendation office to the front line; that the visibility of police on to the palace later today. patrol will go up; and that crime is falling? We have set a challenging but manageable funding settlement for the police service. It is a matter for the Mrs May: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. Indeed, I chief constable and the police authority in each force to had a very good visit to Northampton recently and saw determine the number of police officers that are deployed some of the excellent work being done by the police within the available resource. there. I heard directly from the chief constable what he is doing to ensure, as my hon. Friend says, that he cuts Nick Smith: May I thank the Secretary of State for back-office work for police officers and gets them out her response? Will she congratulate Gwent police authority, on the streets, which results in the impact that the public which was recently assessed by inspectors as performing want—they want to see people out on their streets. well? Can she explain why more than £100 million will be spent on elected police commissioners, given that Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab): May I welcome the there is no guarantee that such performance will be fact that the Home Secretary and the Mayor of London sustained, let alone improved, with them? Would not have agreed on their choices for the name of the next the money be better spent on keeping more police on Metropolitan Police Commissioner? our streets? When the CSR was agreed, there were no disorders in London, but the acting commissioner has said that the Mrs May: If the hon. Gentleman is going to ask thin blue line was very thin during the recent disorders. questions like that, he really should get his figures right, If a case is made for additional resources as a result of because of course, the figure to be spent on police and the various inquiries that are being conducted, will the crime commissioners is not £100 million. I am happy to Home Secretary revisit those figures? join him in congratulating Gwent police. I had a very good meeting the other day with the chief constable of Mrs May: If I may say to the right hon. Gentleman, Gwent police, who is the Association of Chief Police I expect to be having a further conversation with the Officers lead on matters relating to domestic violence. Mayor after Home Office questions, but I hope to be He talked about some of the excellent work that Gwent sending a recommendation to the palace, and I firmly police had done on that. expect to do so, later today. 737 Oral Answers12 SEPTEMBER 2011 Oral Answers 738 In relation to the funding figures for the Metropolitan and as we have made clear, the Home Office will be police, the right hon. Gentleman will know full well that making funds available in relation to the matters that we are providing support to it, and indeed to other the right hon. Lady has raised. forces, as a result of the riots that took place recently. However, I am pleased to say that the previous Metropolitan Police Commissioner was able to increase visibility with Police Panels police on the streets within the resources he had, by the simple and effective method of moving from police patrolling in pairs to single-patrol policing. 2. George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth) (Con): Whether she has considered bringing forward amendments to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill to Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford) ensure that proposed police panels are representative of (Lab): It is intriguing to discover that the Home Secretary the geographical area they will serve. [70926] and the Mayor have not yet agreed on the next Metropolitan Police Commissioner. The previous question was about the comprehensive The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick spending review. Her Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary Herbert): The Government have set out plans to ensure estimated that 16,000 officers will be cut as a result of that police and crime panels are representative of the the CSR. Since then, the police have faced substantial places they serve. We tabled an amendment to the Bill in additional costs of £125 million from policing the August another place, allowing many panels to co-opt further riots. The Home Secretary has said that she is supporting members. This will enable local authorities to address the Met police and other forces, but the Minister for geographical imbalances. Policing and Criminal Justice said in his letter that this will be only George Eustice: I thank the Minister for that response “where forces are not in a position to cover the costs of recent and welcome the amendment, which is obviously a step events themselves”. in the right direction. However, he will be aware of the That leaves the police with no clarity at a time when particular concerns of people in Cornwall that they their budgets are already being cut. Will she therefore might not get a fair geographic representation. What now guarantee that no police force will have to cut any additional reassurance can he give that the Home Secretary officers or services to pay for policing the riots and will will ensure that Cornwall is fairly represented on Devon she stand by the Prime Minister’s commitment to pay and Cornwall police panel, and will he agree to meet a this extra money to the police? delegation from Cornwall council to discuss this issue? Mrs May: It is absolutely clear—and has been made Nick Herbert: I understand my hon. Friend’s concerns— clear to police forces affected by the riots—that police they have been put to me by other hon. Friends. The forces should put in claims to the Home Office and that amendment that we moved in the other place will allow we will look at them. We will be looking at claims for for the nomination of an additional five members to the operational costs and riot damage costs. On the right panel. Approval for that will lie with the Secretary of hon. Lady’s first statement, however, I do not think that State, although there must be regard to geographical she should try to transpose on to this Government the balance. I hope and believe therefore that we can reassure sort of disputes that took place within the previous the people of Cornwall that they will be properly represented Government.