§ 13. Mr. Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey)What plans he has to continue the community police centres pilot schemes. [13352]
§ The Minister for Police, Courts and Drugs (Mr. John Denham)The aim of the pilot scheme in Swale was to provide a central means for members of the public to bring non-urgent and non-criminal inquiries and problems to a single point and have them resolved. The Government encourage schemes such as this, which is an excellent example of a joint partnership between Departments that improves public access to meet the needs of local communities. It was funded via a successful joint invest-to-save bid by Swale borough council and Kent police, and decisions on continuing with such schemes lie with local partners.
§ Mr. WyattI thank my right hon. Friend for that response. Perhaps he, like his predecessor in the Home Office, will pay a visit to the area and see the system. I point out that, where there are police headquarters and borough council headquarters, it is very confusing for people to know which one to go to—something that he should perhaps bear in mind in relation to future funding. Furthermore, has he considered widening the scheme to include neighbourhood watch and housing benefit, so that there is one centre in the local community to which people can go with real problems?
§ Mr. DenhamLocal initiatives of this sort are very much for local partners to identify. I would certainly welcome local initiatives that try to bring together a wider range of local government services, police services and others in one place. In addition to trying to co-locate services physically, as I understand was done in Swale, it is important for police and local authorities to co-operate on internet-based access and telephone call centres.