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Question
When can we expect the White Paper on police reform?
Minister reply
The Minister is not entirely clear whether or not the shadow Home Secretary is in favour of this announcement.
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Question
How will the Minister ensure that savings resulting from these changes are reinvested in frontline policing, especially in places like Sunderland which lost many officers under the previous government?
Minister reply
The aim is to put police back into communities where they belong. Savings from reforms will be used to reduce bureaucratic tasks and focus on deploying more police officers to their proper roles.
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Question
Will the Minister commit to investing saved funds directly into frontline policing? What safeguards will ensure mayors are held accountable for their new responsibilities?
Minister reply
The Government aims to reinvest savings from PCCs back into policing. Safeguards include moving functions of PCCs into existing mayoral structures and continuing the role of PCCs in areas without mayoral models until 2027.
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Question
What lessons are being learned for localised engagement in London, where borough-wide challenges exist and community meetings often face bureaucratic barriers?
Minister reply
Local leaders should meet Members of Parliament regularly to foster better understanding and collaboration between police chiefs and communities.
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Question
Will the Minister commit to proper funding for Lincolnshire’s force, which faces bankruptcy due to being underfunded?
Minister reply
The Minister is aware of the challenges in Lincolnshire and will work closely on the upcoming funding settlement before the end of the year.
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Question
While welcoming the abolition of PCCs, how does the Minister honour those who have served in this role?
Minister reply
The Minister paid tribute to Marc Jones and other police and crime commissioners for their service.
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Question
Can she talk about how we can get more high-quality candidates to apply to become chief constables, and about how their relationship with the deputy mayors might operate?
Minister reply
There has been a reduction in the number of years for which police chiefs serve, from about five to two and a half. There are also fewer people applying for such jobs as they become available. We want really healthy competition for these roles, which are very significant and important to us.
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Question
While paying tribute to Kent’s police and crime commissioner, may I ask about the arrangements in areas where there is not a mayor?
Minister reply
The higher-tier authority leaders will provide the board, and there will be a paid person who is the police and crime lead. In some cases, it may be that they are the police and crime commissioner if local authorities make that decision.
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Question
May I place on the record my thanks to John Tizard for his work? May I press the Minister on the steps being taken to ensure a smooth transition from PCCs to mayor-led or council-led oversight?
Minister reply
The police and crime commissioner model will be abolished at the end of the existing term of office, in May 2028. The transition will be overseen by a small programme team in the Home Office, and the legal framework is expected to be included in a second-Session police reform Bill.
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Question
Does the Minister agree that the greatest reform needed to improve policing efficiency is sufficient funding?
Minister reply
Funding is enormously important, and we are providing our police with a real-terms funding uplift this year. However, if we look at day-to-day activities of many officers, they cannot be productive because of ancient systems in place.
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Question
Does the Minister agree that the money would be better reinvested in visible frontline policing?
Minister reply
I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. I think the PCSO model is extraordinarily successful, and one of the awfully sad things that happened under the last Government is that this model was completely decimated.
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Question
What commitment can the new Policing Minister offer me that she will completely overhaul the formula as part of the forthcoming police funding settlement?
Minister reply
The funding allocation will be made in the usual way before the end of the year. There is more money going into policing this year and we will ensure that it is given to where it is needed.
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Question
Does the Minister agree that it is vital that we redouble our efforts to move at real pace to ensure there is a mayor in every area of England?
Minister reply
I believe the mayoral model to be a good one. I think most people see the benefits, and on the whole this Government are in favour of ensuring we have the mayoral model where we can.
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Question
The announcement today is on police and crime commissioners, which will not change those boundaries.
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Question
I thank the Minister for her statement. I whole-heartedly agree that the public have not bought into this model, but that does not mean there has not been some excellent work done by PCCs and their staff with great commitment and professionalism.
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for his thoughtful question, and I join him in paying tribute to Matt Storey. We are learning lessons from the transition process and ensuring that statutory responsibilities such as victim services will be maintained.
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Question
I welcome the Government’s decision, which I think is long overdue. I thank Clare Moody, the PCC for Somerset, who has worked very hard with me over the last 18 months and has visited my constituency three times.
Minister reply
I am very sorry to hear about the incidents of crime that the hon. Lady mentioned. Rural crime is incredibly important, and we are working on the rural crime strategy. I join her in praising Clare Moody for her work.
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Question
I welcome the Labour Government’s progress on policing, including Dudley town centre’s new police station, which will open this year, and the new police officers being redeployed to Dudley borough in April.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right to raise the funding formula. The White Paper on police reform will introduce significant changes to how we do policing, making it more efficient and targeted at crimes.
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Question
May I put it on the record, on behalf of my constituents, that both Martyn Underhill, the initial Dorset police and crime commissioner, and the current PCC, David Sidwick, have done sterling work with their teams to protect and look after my constituents over the years they have served?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and join him in praising Martyn Underhill and David Sidwick for their work. The police and crime commissioner models that do work will be made normative.
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Question
In Thames Valley, we are fortunate enough to have a model that is working under the leadership of Matthew Barber, our police and crime commissioner. Police numbers have gone up, and he has led the creation of the country’s best rural crime taskforce.
Minister reply
I join in the praise for the hon. Gentleman’s police and crime commissioner but I am not criticising the work individuals have done; we believe the model has not worked.
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Question
My constituents want a focus on neighbourhood policing, improving standards and a major police station in the local area. However, after an excellent PCC in Lord Willy Bach, our current PCC has created an office mired with controversy.
Minister reply
I can absolutely confirm that the focus will be on providing the best possible service to our communities, including neighbourhood policing and holding the police accountable for their actions.
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Question
May I thank Dafydd Llywelyn for his excellent work on rural crime and domestic abuse?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Lady for her promotion; this announcement is not about devolution of policing but structural changes to a model that simply was not working.
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Question
Across Loughborough, motorbikes have been stolen for years and years; it is a huge scourge. I am glad that recent police operations helped to seize some of those bikes.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises an important point about his constituents’ concerns. The savings from the programme will fund up to 320 police constables or 430 PCSOs, showing the value for money they bring.
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Question
Will the Minister pay tribute to Philip Wilkinson, Wiltshire’s PCC, who has realigned policing in my county with the priorities of my constituents?
Minister reply
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question and join him in paying tribute to Philip Wilkinson for his work. The lion's share of £100 million is from abolished elections; we are driving efficiencies and ensuring important statutory functions are maintained.
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Question
Can the Minister look again at the police funding formula, as it fails on rurality and summer seasonal pressures?
Minister reply
The funding formula allocations will be announced before the end of the year. We are aware of concerns about the funding formula and we aim to address these issues.
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Question
Will the money saved from today’s announcement be used to reopen closed front desks in Bicester and Kidlington?
Minister reply
It is for local police areas to decide how they use their funding. Our priority is to get more officers on the streets to improve neighbourhood policing.
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Question
Will the Minister meet me and Sarah Taylor, Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner, to discuss ensuring that existing partnerships continue to serve the people of Norfolk?
Minister reply
I am always happy to meet and talk about these issues. We will ensure that we learn from previous transitions and avoid dropping any balls with regard to services provided to local people.
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Question
Will the Minister use her good offices to go to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and ensure that Spelthorne gets a mayor?
Minister reply
I will leave those decisions to my colleagues in MHCLG. I am happy to pass on the hon. Gentleman’s comments.
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Question
How might these changes tackle instances of antisocial behaviour where local authorities are failing as landlords?
Minister reply
We need everyone to feel responsible for preventing crime and working effectively together. We will ensure that the police, and the local authorities, have the right powers to take action in a speedy fashion.
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Question
Does the Minister recognise that abolishing police and crime scrutiny panels risks creating a chasm of scrutiny?
Minister reply
The accountability from elected local authority leaders will be powerful, but I am happy to work with the hon. Lady to ensure she gets what she wants locally.
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Question
Will the Minister join me in thanking Simon Foster for his work and assure me that good work established will continue?
Minister reply
I absolutely join my hon. Friend in praising Simon Foster and the work he has done.
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Question
Can the Minister categorically state that the Government will never allow a police merger between Suffolk and Norfolk?
Minister reply
The arrangements announced today are not changing the 43 models at all. We will bring forward reform for consideration.
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Question
Will the Minister ensure that any savings made by abolishing the PCC role are reinvested directly in frontline policing?
Minister reply
We will of course ensure that the money we save is directed to frontline policing, because that is where it needs to be.
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Question
What will happen if a police force area like mine is split between two mayors?
Minister reply
There are complexities to do with the mayoral model and how it is playing out that I am happy to discuss.
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Question
Can she confirm that the savings from this initiative will go to community policing, allowing West Mercia police to reverse the 8 pm PCSO cap?
Minister reply
We are meeting next week, so we can discuss this matter then. I am very happy to join in his praise for his Conservative police and crime commissioner.
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Question
Can the Minister explain why the Government think it is appropriate to have police governance by committee but not local authority governance by committee?
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Question
Could the Minister reassure me that we will consider the fire service as well, and how oversight of it will be transitioned in areas like my area?
Minister reply
The transition to new structures will relate to both fire and policing. The role will move to the new police boards where relevant.
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Question
Will the Minister explain how these reforms will deliver clearer accountability for policing in areas like my constituency?
Minister reply
Accountability will lie with the mayor or council leaders, depending on the model adopted. The White Paper will detail national-level accountability measures.
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Question
Can I ask that when she consults the Welsh Government, as she is right to do, she also consults Welsh Labour MPs? Will she meet me and other Cardiff MPs to talk about a fairer capital city funding deal?
Minister reply
I am happy to meet my hon. Friend and other MPs to discuss the future arrangements for Cardiff.
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Question
Can the Minister confirm what the announcement means for Surrey, given that we are moving to a unitary model but the Government have yet to confirm solidly that we are getting a mayor?
Minister reply
We will continue to work with local authorities and ensure smooth transitions where there are moving parts in legislation.
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Question
Could the Minister please set out what she thinks are reasonable expectations when it comes to a chief constable engaging with local Members of Parliament?
Minister reply
It is incredibly important that chiefs have a good relationship with their local MPs, who bring valuable insight about local community needs.
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Question
How can we ensure that money goes to my residents' priorities such as vital safety improvements on the A148?
Minister reply
We will put the savings from abolishing PCCs into frontline services, including road safety reforms.
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Question
What difference will the decision make to residents in my constituency who are concerned about an historical lack of neighbourhood policing?
Minister reply
This money will help put more neighbourhood police officers into communities, which is a priority for this Government.
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Question
Can the Minister confirm that the savings made will deliver more frontline policing in areas with low numbers of police officers?
Minister reply
Through neighbourhood policing policies, we intend to ensure there are more police on our streets and communities.
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Question
Will she work alongside the relevant Minister in Northern Ireland to ensure effective policing with the moneys available?
Minister reply
I am happy to meet colleagues in Northern Ireland to share best practices on policing.