Oral Answers to Questions

Karen Lumley Excerpts

Monday 6th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

6. What recent representations she has received on the proportion of police officers’ time spent on administrative tasks.

[Karen Lumley (Redditch) (Con)]

16. What recent representations she has received on the proportion of police officers’ time spent on administrative tasks.

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

I have spoken to many officers about the time that they have to spend filling out forms.  The Government are committed to reducing bureaucracy so that the police can get back on to the streets and deal with crime.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nick Herbert]

I appreciate the burden that non-emergency calls place on police forces. The Government are investigating how we can take forward a plan for a national non-emergency number, which I think will improve the service to the public. We are committed to reducing bureaucracy. We have already scrapped the policing pledge and the previous Government’s targets. We want to ensure that police officers can be out on the streets where the public want to see them.

[Karen Lumley]

I understand that in my constituency of Redditch, much progress has been made on reducing the time that police spend on administrative tasks, and I appreciate that paperwork is necessary. However, the number of robberies and other theft offences has risen in Redditch since 2007. Does the Minister agree that such crime could be significantly reduced if the police were given more time on the beat and spent less time filling in forms?

[Nick Herbert]

I agree with my hon. Friend and understand her concern about those crimes. A recent report of the inspectorate of constabulary found that the police were visible and available to the community for an average of only about 10% of the time because they are too tied up in bureaucracy. We must tackle that.