§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are any proposals to close the police station in Saintfield, County Down or to reduce the number of policemen based in Saintfield PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) station; and what they see as the future of policing in Saintfield. [HL5094]
§ Lord Williams of MostynI have been advised by the Acting Chief Constable that there are no current plans to close Saintfield station or to decrease the number of officers serving Downpatrick DCU which covers the Saintfield area. The Government remain committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure that the police service operates effectively. However, the future of policing in Saintfield is an operational matter and as such is the responsibility of the Chief Constable in consultation with the Policing Board.