Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Monday 3rd July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

It is a good thing that we have protected police funding from 2015 to 2020. I admire enormously the work that the police and fire services do, and we will continue to look at how better we can support them. One of the ways that we have heard about today—I know that Merseyside has led on this too—is through collaboration, which will allow stronger working, better outcomes and money saved for the frontline.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

5. What steps she is taking to ensure the recruitment to the police force of people with the skills required to tackle modern crime.

[Mr Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire) (Con)]

11. What steps she is taking to ensure the recruitment to the police force of people with the skills required to tackle modern crime.

[The Minister for Security (Mr Ben Wallace)]

The Government’s programme of reforms is aimed at ensuring that the police workforce is flexible, capable and professional, agile enough to adapt to changes in crime and society. We established the College of Policing as the professional body for policing, and its new policing education qualification framework is designed to ensure that policing is fit for the future. In addition, innovative recruitment schemes are widening the talent pool, bringing in people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

[Peter Aldous]

Tim Passmore, the police and crime commissioner for Suffolk, is recruiting more officers. To help Suffolk police with that task, will the Minister consider expanding the direct entry scheme and introducing more flexibility in salaries and promotion within ranks, so that officers are better able to progress their careers and are not continually moving into new roles when promoted?

[Mr Wallace]

We are already encouraging more police chiefs to take advantage of the direct entry scheme. There are a range of innovative examples around the country, including the chief constable in Durham, who is going direct to Sheffield University. As my hon. Friend says, it is also important to recognise police who are already serving, and that is why we fully support the advanced practitioner programme, which is being piloted in eight forces and encourages police to continue to specialise for a longer career, and rewards that effort.