Policing

Debate between Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen and Baroness Neville-Jones

Monday 26th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Neville-Jones]

My understanding is that the police commissioner will set the priorities for the budget and, indeed, I think that he does have a hand in the setting of the precept. I will have to write to the noble Baroness about other detail, because I would not want to mislead her.

[Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen]

Will the noble Baroness answer the question asked by my noble friend Lord Brett about the cost of elections for police commissioners?

[Baroness Neville-Jones]

Clearly, elections cost money, but it is difficult to know before we have had one what they are likely to cost, although we will certainly make an estimate. The money will have to come out of the finance that is available to the Home Office for policing, but we believe that this is good value if the public are to have better control. Given the totality of the package that we are putting forward, with our determination to increase value for money, to drive down duplication and to improve procurement, for example, which at the moment is lamentably fragmented, duplicative and therefore costly, we believe that, in the end, this will not be a more costly way of running the police service than the current one.