Clause 44 - Power for police to make schemes
Criminal Justice and Police Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
I entirely reject both what the Minister said in the previous debate about the official Opposition's position and his completely specious assertion that police numbers are going up. He appears to believe that, just because the Home Secretary says that provision will be made for recruiting more police, more will automatically be conjured up. In most areas, the numbers recruited have so far not made up the shortfall caused by the collapse in police morale that those in the Police Federation and others repeatedly comment on, which, as the Minister knows perfectly well, is the direct result of Labour Government policy. Consequently, in areas such as mine and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate—