Cameron's cuts would hit police in the North West

27^th January 2009

NORTH WEST Regional Minister Bev Hughes has joined Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in criticising Tory spending plans which would see cuts, equivalent to just under 500 fewer police officers in the region.

It follows this week’s announcement by David Cameron that he intends to restrict the Home Office’s budget to a one per cent real terms increase for 2009/10, which would require a cut of £160 million in just three months’ time.

Labour’s Regional Minister MP Bev Hughes said:

“It could mean 492 fewer police officers in the North West - which would be a devastating blow to communities here in our region.

“I challenge Tory MPs in the North West to justify these cuts and tell us - and more importantly their constituents - just where the cuts would fall and which communities would lose the least officers."

Labour’s Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"David Cameron's plans for sudden cuts in public spending would be equivalent to slashing the number of police officers in the North West by 492. As Home Secretary I know what an important role each of our police officers play in the North West.

"Labour are committed to maintaining a visible police presence on our streets there - since we came to power police numbers are up by more than 14,000 nationwide, alongside nearly 16,000 Community Support Officers.

"Despite talking tough on crime David Cameron's Conservatives have repeatedly voted against Labour’s investment in law and order and the tough measures Labour has taken to fight crime."

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. The proportion of the Tory cuts to police numbers that would affect the North West is derived from the latest publicly available figures on the relative strength of police forces - the Home Office Statistical Bulletin on Police Service Strength, published 22 July 2008. This set out that the North West region made up 13.83 % of the total number of police officers in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2008.

2. How this breaks-down by police authority:

North West 13.83% of total strength in England and Wales – a cut of 492.
 
Cheshire – 1.54% – 55 officers
Cumbria – 0.88% - 31 officers
Gtr Manchester – 5.66% - 201 officers
Lancashire – 2.59% - 92 officers
Merseyside – 3.16% - 112 officers

3. On Monday 5 January, David Cameron announced that he intends to restrict the Home Office’s budget to a 1 per cent real terms increase for 2009/10, which would require a cut of £160 million in just three months’ time.

“…maintaining the government's spending plans for the NHS, schools, defence and International development, but restricting other departments to a 1 per cent increase in real terms.”
(David Cameron, speech on spending plans, January 5 2009)