Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Huw Irranca-Davies and Lord Herbert of South Downs

Monday 21st May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

16. What assessment she has made of the effect of change in police numbers on the level of crime since May 2010.

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)]

The Home Affairs Committee said last year:

“We accept that there is no simple relationship between numbers of police officers and levels of crime.”

The Government agree.

[Nick Herbert]

I have already quoted the Select Committee’s view that there is no simple link. However, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that according to the latest official figures relating to crime in Merseyside, published earlier this year, in December last year overall crime had fallen by 2% and the number of instances of violence against the person had fallen by 7%. There are areas of specific concern, but it is not true to say that overall crime has been rising in the hon. Gentleman’s police force area.

[Huw Irranca-Davies]

The Minister said that there was “no simple link”. The Police Federation has suggested that by 2015 the number of serving police officers in Wales will have fallen by about 1,600, and according to Her Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary the figure is closer to 800. Even if the more cautious figure were correct, does the Minister really believe that a drop of 800 would have no effect whatsoever on crime in Wales?

[Nick Herbert]

The hon. Gentleman ought to ask what police officers are doing. If they are tied up in red tape, as they were by the last Government, or if they are in back-room positions in which they do not need to be, that is not necessarily the best possible deployment of resources. The latest official figures show that in south Wales overall crime has fallen by 7%, and at the end of last year the chief constable of south Wales said:

“We are not just treading water, we are improving the service and improving the way that we deal with members of the communities we serve.”

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Huw Irranca-Davies and Lord Herbert of South Downs

Monday 6th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

Last year, the Police Federation surveyed all four police authorities in Wales on the state of morale and found that 99% of its members were suffering from low morale. Is the Minister or the Secretary of State as shocked as I am that 1% were not suffering low morale under this Government’s policies?

[Nick Herbert]

We have already established that the Police Federation has expressed concern about policy and morale in previous years. It often does so. Police officers and staff know that difficult decisions must be taken to reduce the deficit. They are also increasingly aware that the Labour party would take exactly the same position on pay and funding.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Huw Irranca-Davies and Lord Herbert of South Downs

Monday 1st November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Nick Herbert]

What is important is how visible and available the police are. There are innovative things that they can do instead of necessarily keeping police stations open at times when very few people visit them, such as setting up shop in shared premises in supermarkets. My hon. Friend should talk to his chief constable about such ideas.

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

May I genuinely and unbegrudgingly thank the Policing Minister for recently visiting my constituency and seeing the award-winning group of police community support officers and police officers at the Caerau station? Thank you very much indeed. However, will he pay a return visit if we find that that team, or any others in my constituency, is broken up because of the police cuts coming down the line?

[Nick Herbert]

I am happy to tell the hon. Gentleman that I will be returning to the force area this week, although not to his constituency. I spoke to his chief constable a few days ago, and he assured me that by making savings, there would be protection for the visible and available policing in the streets that the hon. Gentleman’s constituents want to see.