Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in police officer numbers employed by Northumbria Police on their effectiveness since 2010.

Northumbria Police have consistently been graded as “Good” on police effectiveness in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services PEEL inspections (most recently published in March 2017).

Decisions about the number of officers and how they are deployed are a matter for PCCs and chief officers. I am, however, engaging with the sector to better understand the changing demands on the police and how these can best be managed, including what more can be done to improve productivity and efficiency and make prudent use of financial reserves.