VIGGERS: 'GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENT ON POLICE REFORM'

Peter Viggers, MP for the Gosport constituency, yesterday took part in a heated debate in Westminster Hall on the Government’s proposed restructuring of the Police Service.

The background is that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies had been instructed by the Government to look at the issue of restructuring Police forces. On 16 January, it was recommended that Police forces should operate with a minimum 4000 officers or 6000 staff and that otherwise police forces should be restructured. Hampshire falls just below the 4000 figure.

The Home Office instructed police authorities to put forward proposals for restructuring by 28 October, with a view to evaluating the options by 23 December prior to the issue of a final report.

Peter said after the debate, “On being consulted in September, Hampshire Police Authority consulted with the CPS and the Courts Service, and arrived at the conclusion that they wished arrangements to remain as they were. They added that if it was not possible to retain the status quo, then a link with Dorset and Wiltshire would be preferred. The Home Office rejected this and instructed the Police Authority to come back with a restructuring proposal which fell within Government Office boundaries (i.e., the South East). The Home Office made it clear that it was an absolute Whitehall direction that these Government Office boundaries were sacrosanct. PV maintain manner of dealing with Police amateur and incompetent.

“I believe that the Government has been amateur and incompetent in its dealings with the Police on this issue. The case for restructuring has simply not been made. There is no case for a ‘south east’ solution. There is now scarcely a point of stability across the emergency services - the Government has tinkered with fire control; the changing of NHS boundaries; and now the Police service. There is no appetite for change and certainly not where this involves forcing the Police into the ‘corset’ of regional government.

“The behaviour of the Home Office has been devious and undemocratic, and during the debate there was no support at all for the Government’s restructuring proposals. The Police service and elected representatives will not give up on this issue, and we will continue to fight against the Home Office’s plans for enforced restructuring.”