Opposition Day — Policing — 4 Nov 2015 at 18:45

The majority of MPs voted not to call on the Government to secure a funding settlement for the police that maintains frontline services and does not compromise public safety.

The motion rejected by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House
• notes with concern the loss of 17,000 police officers in the last five years;
• further notes the most recent Police Recorded Crime statistics, which show sharp rises in some of the more serious crimes including knife crime and sexual assault and that, alongside evidence that some crime is rising, there is evidence that crime is changing and moving away from traditional forms such as burglary and car theft and is being increasingly replaced by cybercrime;
• is concerned by reports that the police budget could face between 25 and 40 per cent spending reductions in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review;
• notes warnings from senior police figures that this could result in over 20,000 further reductions in frontline staff, the effective end of neighbourhood policing and much of the public being exposed to much greater risk;
• accepts that further efficiencies can be made in the police budget for England and Wales but believes that budget reductions over 10 per cent would be dangerous;
• further notes the ongoing concern surrounding the Scottish Government’s oversight of Police Scotland and the findings of the recent staff survey which found only 30 per cent of staff thought they had the resources necessary to do their job properly; and
• calls on the Government to secure a funding settlement for the police that maintains frontline services and does not compromise public safety.

Debate in Parliament | Source |