Article For Folkestone Herald and Kentish Express

22 December 2005

In recent weeks the Government has brought forward a number of proposals which would have a serious effect on Kent. Some have just been leaked, like the proposals to reorganise local government. Some have been put forward openly such as the proposals to regionalise aspects of our emergency services.

On Monday the House of Commons debated the Government’s proposals for the merger of police forces. [It gave me the opportunity to make my first speech from the back benches for more than four years].

The Government contends that in order to provide the kind of service that is needed today a police force has to employ at least 4000 police officers and 6000 employees in all. Kent meets the second test – it employs more than 6,000 people but does not quite meet the test of 4,000 police officers.

The reason for this is very interesting. Kent has been proactive in training civilians to do some of the desk jobs which were previously carried out by police officers. They have been encouraged to do this by successive Home Secretaries.

Moreover the performance of Kent Police compares very well with other forces. Its detection rate for murder and manslaughter, for example, is 100%.

So I believe there is no case at all for compelling Kent Police to merge with Sussex and Surrey. [That is what I told the House of Commons on Monday].

I hope that wiser counsels will prevail.

But I do hope that these matters will be very far from your minds this weekend. Sandra and I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.