Oral Answers to Questions

Nadhim Zahawi Excerpts

Monday 6th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Nick Herbert]

First, I should say that the Labour Government’s legislation introduced the arrangements that allow for the transfer of functions to the deputy Mayor. The right hon. Gentleman seems to have changed his mind about that. On our proposals, he knows that we want to enhance the accountability of local policing. Police will remain operationally independent.

“Strong, transparent accountability is vital for community confidence”—

they are not my words but those of the previous Government’s Green Paper when they proposed direct accountability and then reneged on that pledge.

[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.

[Nadhim Zahawi]

In Warwickshire, our police force has to deal with 1.5 million phone calls over and above the emergency calls every year, and rightly so. Does my right hon. Friend know that, under the previous Government, the police spent more time on paperwork than on patrolling the streets? That is wrong.