New clause 9 - Amalgamation of police districts
Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]
4:30 pm
Mr Tom Harris (Glasgow Cathcart, Labour)
I am pleased to agree with the hon. Gentleman. I just want to let him know that the Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, in discussions a couple of weeks ago with me and some of my colleagues—members of the parliamentary Labour party Northern Ireland committee—expressed concern that there were far too many policing districts. Does the hon. Gentleman consider that that might best be addressed by reorganising local government, rather than through a unilateral amalgamation by the Chief Constable?