§ 11. Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York)What estimate he has made of the impact on police budgets of the public safety radio communications project. [126129]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke)Once the service is fully established across England and Wales, the cost of the public safety radio communications service is estimated to be £157 million per year at today's prices for the police service. Currently, that represents about 2 per cent. of police authority budgets in England and Wales. In addition, there will be costs to forces in buying control room and radio terminal equipment and so on, but many of those costs would be incurred irrespective of the public safety radio communications service. The allocation of £50 million from the capital modernisation fund to the service, which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in September 1999, will go towards reducing the cost of the service during the first few years of operation.
§ Miss McIntoshI thank the Minister for that reply. Does he share my concern that although the Government have agreed with North Yorkshire police to top-slice its budget, the rurality factor should be taken into account? It must be recognised that the new equipment cannot be shared in sparsely populated rural areas such as North Yorkshire. Is the Minister aware that 16 per cent. of North Yorkshire's operational budget is currently spent on retirement pensions, and that 50 per cent. of it goes on early retirement for police officers? Will that also be taken into account in future budgets?
§ Mr. ClarkeI have discussed with the chief constable of North Yorkshire—the force covering the hon. Lady's constituency—the important benefit of the national police project to her constituency, perhaps more so than to many other police authorities, because of the geography of the 656 area. The police force recognises what we are doing. On rurality, may I point out to the hon. Lady that my right hon. Friend announced 10 days or so ago an extra £15 million for rural forces in the current year to meet some of the costs associated with rural forces? The Government can say that we are doing a great deal for rural forces and will continue to do so.
§ Dr. Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East)Now that Ray Mallon and seven Cleveland officers have been cleared of any criminal charges, what will the Government do to bring Operation Lancet to an end? It has been a great drain on public resources, on the police budget—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I am sorry, but that does not relate to the question at all.