Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Metropolitan Police on the effect on police performance of the tri-borough merger in Havering.

Decisions on the operational structures of police forces are taken at a local level by Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), or Mayors with PCC functions.

The Government believes that the police should be accountable to the communities they serve. Chief officers, PCCs and Mayors are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge, experience and local democratic mandate.