[Mrs. Janet Dean in the Chair] — Police Community Support Officers

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 2:56 pm on 25 March 2010.

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Photo of Andrew Rosindell Andrew Rosindell Shadow Minister (Home Affairs) 2:56, 25 March 2010

I have listened carefully to the hon. Gentleman and the Minister, and they have used the words "neighbourhood" and "community" throughout their contributions. The hon. Gentleman is a London Member of Parliament, as I am. Can he tell me his definition of a community or a neighbourhood? The big failing of PCSOs within Greater London and my big concern about them is that they are not based on communities or neighbourhoods at all. They are based on electoral wards, which often have no relevance to communities or neighbourhoods; instead, they are purely related to electoral numbers. So does he agree that it is time that PCSOs were based on proper neighbourhoods and communities, rather than on administrative or electoral boundaries?