Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Jones and Lord Herbert of South Downs

Monday 6th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

Last week, North Yorkshire police announced a future Harrogate town centre co-location with Harrogate borough council to save costs. Is the Minister pleased to see such partnership initiatives and such cross-party support for saving money?

[Nick Herbert]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that example. It is a good one that shows that police forces can collaborate not just with each other, as they are doing increasingly, but also with other services to provide a better service and to save money.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Jones and Lord Herbert of South Downs

Monday 27th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Nick Herbert]

We want to improve the accountability of the police and the whole criminal justice system to the public and we are proceeding with our plan to introduce directly elected police and crime commissioners to do that—those measures are currently under discussion in the Lords—and measures such as the introduction of street level crime mapping. The police.uk website has received more than 420 million hits since its launch.

[Andrew Jones]

How will the introduction of police and crime commissioners help further to reduce the admin burden?

[Nick Herbert]

I believe that elected police and crime commissioners will have a very strong focus on reducing the burden of bureaucracy and administration in their forces precisely because they will feel pressure from their electorate to ensure that resources are directed to the front line. We are also placing police and crime commissioners under a duty to collaborate and I am sure that they will work together to drive out unnecessary costs from their forces.