§ 9. Mr. BurnsIf he will make a statement on the recruitment of special constables into the Chelmsford area. [24620]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Alun Michael)In the current financial year, 34 additional special constables have been recruited in the Chelmsford area. There are now 82 specials in the Chelmsford division. During specials week, I went to Essex and met some of the Essex specials with the chief constable, John Burrow, and I am very impressed by the increasingly professional nature of their work.
§ Mr. BurnsI am grateful to the Minister for his reply. Does he share my concern—and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford (Mr. Whittingdale) and of West Chelmsford Labour party—about the difficulty of recruiting and retaining high-calibre special constables, despite the availability of funds? The Essex police are doing a tremendous job in seeking to recruit special constables in the Chelmsford area, but does the Minister feel that local authorities also have a role? If so, does he think that Chelmsford borough council is playing its full part?
§ Mr. MichaelI am surprised at the reported lack of enthusiasm of Liberal Democrats in Chelmsford for what is an essential act of citizenship—ordinary citizens acting as volunteers to help to make the community safer for others.
Yes, local authorities can play a role as, indeed, can the business sector. We would encourage all parts of the community to work together to meet the objective that—as my hon. Friend the Minister of State pointed out—we are setting out in the Crime and Disorder Bill, and to cut crime.