§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the nature, application, operation and priorities of priority policing within the Metropolitan police area; and if he will call for reports from chief constables outside the Metropolitan police area on the nature, application, operation and priorities of priority policing.
§ Mr. Giles ShawWe attach great importance to the determination of objectives and priorities in the police service, and to the allocation of resources and the deployment of police and civilian manpower in a way that will most effectively and efficiently secure those objectives and priorities. Home Office circular No. 114/1983 invited chief officers of police and police authorities to keep their objectives, priorities and resources under review, and provided guidance on how this should be done. A copy of the circular is in the Library.
As regards the Metropolitan police district, for which my right hon. Friend is the police authority, the Commissioner submits to him in January each year a report setting out his strategy, goals and priorities for the forthcoming year. Copies of the report are placed in the Library and sent to right hon. and hon. Members for constituencies within the Metropolitan police district, and the report forms the basis of the annual debate on policing in the metropolis.