Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed closures of (a) Aldridge Police Station and (b) other local police stations on community safety.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure. Police stations are just one of the ways people can access their local police services, including reporting online and by phone 24/7.

It is up to Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents) to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.

As part of the Safer Street Mission to reduce crime and increase public confidence in policing, the Government has introduced a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to transform neighbourhood policing. Each neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues.

We have also provided £200 million in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood personnel. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.