Opposition Day — Cuts to Police Officer Numbers — 4 Apr 2011 at 21:46

The majority of MPs voted in favour of cuts to the number of police officers.

The motion rejected in this vote was:

• That this House
• notes the Association of Chief Police Officers’ statement that there will be 12,000 fewer police officers because of the Government’s cuts to central government funding for the police;
• considers that chief constables across England and Wales are being put in an impossible position by the Government’s 20 per cent. cut to central government funding;
• notes that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said the police budget could be reduced ‘at best’ by 12 per cent. and that ‘a cut beyond 12 per cent. would almost certainly reduce police availability’;
• further notes that HMIC has said that 95 per cent. of police officers do not work in back office roles;
• regrets that because of the Government’s 20 per cent. cut frontline police officers are being lost in every region of England and in Wales;
• is deeply concerned by recent statements from police forces and authorities that show the level of cuts being forced upon them by the Government, amounting to 1,158 police officers in the South West, 1,428 police officers in the South East, 1,215 police officers in the East of England, 579 police officers in Wales, 783 police officers in the East Midlands, 1,573 police officers in the West Midlands, 573 in the North East, 3,175 in the North West, 1,242 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 1,200 in London;
• calls on the Government to think again; and
• rejects the cuts to frontline police officers the Government is forcing upon police forces.

Debate in Parliament | Source |