§ 36. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that retrenchment in the Thames Division of the Metropolitan Police will not lessen the security of 165W the Palace of Westminster; and whether he will have a statement on the future of the River Police.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesIn the light of the changing pattern of policing needs on the River Thames and throughout the Metropolitan Police District, the Commissioner has decided that a reduction in the number of police officers, patrol boats and police stations in Thames Division is justified in order to achieve a more efficient distribution of his limited resources. It is, of course, for the Commissioner to decide the most effective deployment of his resources on the basis of his professional judgment of operational requirement. The Commissioner's object, which I support, is to release more officers for patrol duty on the streets of London without materially impairing standards of policing on the river. He assures me that the proposed changes in Thames Division will not reduce the degree of protection he is able to afford to the Palace of Westminster.