POLICE REORGANISATION

Early day motion 1675, tabled 16 February 2006 by Paul Flynn (Labour). Signed by 24 members.

That this House notes that the highest levels of drugs crime, terrorist attacks and people trafficking are all in areas with police forces with more than 4,000 staff; rejects the claim that larger police forces reduce crime levels; applauds the splendid success in crime reduction achieved by smaller forces, especially in Wales; understands the public's opposition to the proposed uncosted, incoherent proposed "shotgun marriage" of unwilling forces; believes that the upheaval and waste of reorganisation will distract police from their core tasks and increase crime levels and council bills; is saddened by the desperate, scaremongering claim by certain Ministers that opponents of this unneccessary change are indifferent to the threats from terrorism; and calls for a halt to this rushed experiment until a pilot reorganisation in one willing area can be undertaken and rigorously assessed for cost and efficiency.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 11, Conservative 7, Labour 4, DUP 1, Plaid Cymru 1.