Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the closure and hours reductions of public counters at police stations.

Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the number and operating hours of police stations and any disposal of such
premises, are matters for the Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.

It is important not to confuse buildings with the availability and accessibility of the police. There are many good examples of forces doing far more with their money by finding new forms of public contact. These include the non-emergency number, 101, the internet and contact in places such as supermarket surgeries.