Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Local Policing

Monday 26 February 2024 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Selous asked about local policing and fair allocation of officers in Bedfordshire, referencing specific towns and their officer numbers.
  • The Minister emphasized the importance of addressing hatred based on religion or race, citing instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
  • Sheryll Murray welcomed the opening of a new police inquiry office in Liskeard and inquired about further funding availability.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Selous Con
Policing & Resources
Context

There have been recent concerns about the effectiveness of local policing strategies and communication between government officials and chief constables.

Question

What recent discussions he has had with chief constables on delivering policing at a local level. He referenced regular meetings and sought specific instances of dialogue.

Answer from Chris Philp

We have very regular discussions with chief constables across the country about local policing—in fact, just this morning I had a discussion with the chief constable of Staffordshire Police about some local policing issues in that county. It is a dialogue that happens on a regular and ongoing basis.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Andrew Selous Con
Policing & Resources
Context

Bedfordshire towns such as Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and Houghton Regis have fewer police officers compared to larger cities within the same county.

Question

Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and Houghton Regis are the third, fourth and fifth largest towns in Bedfordshire, yet they have a fraction of the police officers that are based in Luton and Bedford. Will the Minister speak to the chief constable to ensure that we get a fairer allocation of the record number of police officers we have in Bedfordshire, spread across the county and with a 24/7 first responder presence?

Answer from Chris Philp

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for his part of Bedfordshire. He is quite right to say that Bedfordshire, in common with many other parts of the country—and indeed with England and Wales as a whole —has a record number of police officers. In the case of Bedfordshire, the number is 1,456, and across England and Wales as a whole we now have over 149,000 officers: that is more than we have ever had before, and over 3,000 more than we had under the last Labour Government. I speak regularly to Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst and the excellent police and crime commissioner in Bedfordshire, Festus Akinbusoye.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to ensuring fairer allocation or 24/7 presence but provided general statistics on officer numbers.

How: Under Review

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Dawn Butler Lab Brent East
Policing & Resources Community Security
Context

The questioner had to seek extra police support due to far-right abuse inspired by certain Members of Parliament.

Question

At the weekend I had to seek extra police support, due to the far-right abuse that I have suffered, which has been inspired and unleashed in part by the conspiracy theories and racist, Islamophobic, anti-Muslim hate peddled by the Members for Ashfield (Lee Anderson), for Fareham (Suella Braverman) and for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss).

Answer from Chris Philp

This House as a whole should be clear that hatred based on religion or race has no part in a civilised country, whether it is directed towards the Jewish community, who have suffered a surge in antisemitism, or the Muslim community. The Conservative party is prepared to act extremely quickly, as we did at the weekend—a great deal faster than the Labour party when it had an issue in Rochdale.

Not addressed: Did not address abuse but shifted focus to accusations against Labour Party.

How: Changing Subject

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q4 Jonathan Gullis
Crime & Law Enforcement Democracy & Elections
Context

A hate mob disrupted a Conservative fundraiser in Stoke-on-Trent, intimidating attendees including children as young as 11.

Question

I am pleased that the Minister made reference to his meeting with the chief constable of Staffordshire Police after a disgusting hate mob appeared outside a Stoke-on-Trent Conservative fundraiser on Friday. It appears that a police officer allowed members of the public, who were spewing their hatred, into the venue's private function room, where they sought to intimidate, harass and bully members old and young—some as young as 11 years old.

Answer from Chris Philp

Yes, that is important. We make it clear in this House that Members of Parliament, elected councillors or anyone engaging in political activity, including attending political events, should be able to do so without intimidation and without harassment. No one in this House should feel that they have to change their vote, or change procedure, as a result of external pressure. What happened in Stoke city on Friday evening was completely unacceptable.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q5 Ben Bradshaw Lab
Policing & Resources Justice & Courts
Context

Devon and Cornwall Police has been in special measures since 2022, facing lawsuits from former and serving women police officers alleging failures to address rapes, emotional abuse and beatings.

Question

Has the Minister had a chance recently to talk to the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Police, which has been in special measures since 2022, and is now being sued by seven former and serving women police officers for failing to deal with rapes, emotional abuse and beatings over a number of years? What can he do to reassure the public in Devon and Cornwall that these allegations will be thoroughly independently investigated and any wrongdoing acted on?

Answer from Chris Philp

Of course, we have the Independent Office for Police Conduct to make sure that there is an independent body available to investigate serious allegations about police forces or their conduct of particular investigations. On the Engage process, the chief inspector of constabulary chairs regular meetings of the policing performance oversight group, where forces in Engage are looked at and overseen.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address specific allegations but provided general information about investigation processes.

How: Under Review

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q6 Sheryll Murray Con
Policing & Resources
Context

Liskeard is to have a new police inquiry office, which the questioner welcomes and seeks further funding availability.

Question

Local policing is really important. I have had some good news from my police and crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez, which is that Liskeard is to have a new police inquiry office. Would my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming this, and will he look at what further funding is available for this to happen in other towns?

Answer from Chris Philp

I pay tribute to the excellent police and crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez, for the work that she has done to get the Liskeard centre open, and of course I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her tireless work campaigning on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to further funding exploration but acknowledged efforts made.

How: Under Review

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q7 Emma Hardy Lab Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security Mental Health
Context

Residents in Emma Hardy's constituency are concerned about the rise in antisocial behaviour, which has a significant impact on neighbourhoods and mental health.

Question

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for everything you do to keep Members of Parliament safe. I know that so much of it goes unseen. I know, from talking to residents in Hull West and Hessle, that they are deeply concerned about the rise in antisocial behaviour. Antisocial behaviour is not trivial; it has a huge impact on neighbourhoods and on the mental health of the people subjected to it. So why are the Government failing to take it seriously?

Answer from Chris Philp

The Government published an antisocial behaviour action plan just last year. From April of this year, in just a couple of months' time, every single police area in England and Wales will have funding—£66 million in total—to run hotspot patrols in areas where there is antisocial behaviour or serious violence problems. We have 10 force areas running pilots for immediate justice, where people committing ASB have to do immediate reparations, and we banned nitrous oxide on 8 November last year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question specifically asked why the government was not taking antisocial behaviour seriously despite resident concerns. The answer provided a list of actions but did not address whether these measures were adequate or effective in addressing residents' concerns.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email