§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reorganise the Police Service in England. [137851]
§ Ms BlearsA major consultation exercise on the future direction of police reform was launched on 4 November 2003 with the publication of "Policing: Building Safer Communities Together". Among other things, this paper opens the debate on whether the current 43 force structure in England and Wales is the right one for today's and tomorrow's policing needs.
We are clear that any structural change will need to deliver improvements in police performance and delivery of service.