Oral Answers to Questions

Sandy Martin Excerpts

Monday 1st April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab)]

9. What recent assessment he has made of the capacity of police forces to investigate serious violent crime.

[Sandy Martin (Ipswich) (Lab)]

13. What recent assessment he has made of the capacity of police forces to investigate serious violent crime.

[The Minister for Policing and the Fire Service (Mr Nick Hurd)]

As the House has heard, the Government attach high priority to bearing down on the cycle of serious violence and have recently committed an additional £100 million to support police services in that effort.

[Mr Hurd]

I have a great deal of sympathy for the hon. Lady and the situation in her constituency—I, too, have suffered a recent murder in my constituency—but it is a misrepresentation of the Government’s position to say that we have just embarked on a journey of underpinning our strategy through a public health approach. What we have announced today is the launch of a consultation on a statutory duty to co-operate.

[Sandy Martin]

In addition to our need for police officers, public interface, intelligence gathering, evidence processing and so on depend on police staff. Does the Minister accept that the 30% cut in Suffolk police staff and the 72% cut in police community support officers since 2010 have reduced the capacity to investigate serious crime?

[Mr Hurd]

I have candidly recognised in the House that our police system has been under pressure, which is why we have increased public investment. As a result, police and crime commissioners across the country are recruiting, at the last count, around 3,000 officers, plus additional staff. I am mystified as to why the hon. Gentleman voted against it.