Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con):...This debate is timely, given the
experiences of Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner,
who we have learnt has been a victim of domestic violence and
stalking offences. Of course, the Bill relates more to victims who
have not been in a relationship with the perpetrator, but it is
very welcome that she has spoken out, and hopefully her experience
will inspire other victims of stalking to realise that they need
not stay silent... James Cartlidge...Request free trial
(Torbay) (Con):...This
debate is timely, given the experiences of Devon and Cornwall’s
police and crime commissioner, who we have learnt has been a victim
of domestic violence and stalking offences. Of course, the Bill
relates more to victims who have not been in a relationship with
the perpetrator, but it is very welcome that she has spoken out,
and hopefully her experience will inspire other victims of stalking
to realise that they need not stay silent...
(South Suffolk)
(Con):...That is a good point, and the fact that I am
unable strictly to comment on it underlines why politicians should
probably not have a role in frontline policing matters. We do,
however, have responsibility for making the law and resourcing the
police, and I want to focus on that point. My right hon. Friend the
Member for Putney (Justine Greening) made a good point about public
transport. We have public transport in South Suffolk—indeed, many
of my constituents wish we had more buses and so on, and there is
one train station—but in rural constituencies people overwhelmingly
rely on cars. This is an issue of police resources. On many
occasions I have been happy to defend the Government’s position of
enabling Police
and Crime Commissioners to decide whether to
raise the precept to fund the police, but if we pass laws that may
result in more being asked of the police, we must ensure that they
have the resources to carry out those tasks...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the
Home Department (Victoria Atkins):...I am grateful for the
observations from my hon. Friends the Members for South Suffolk and
for Bexhill and Battle (Huw Merriman) on police resourcing. We make
an economic impact assessment of the effects of any Bill, so one
has of course been conducted for this Bill. I heard what they said
about the police settlement, which they will both know is coming
forward in December. We have managed this year to provide a further
£460 million for policing, with the help of Police
and Crime Commissioners, but it is very important that
we listen regarding any further support that can be given in
pressing the case for dealing with the challenges of changing crime
in the 21st century. The full economic impact is a reason why we
have not placed a commencement date in the Bill. That point was
raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay, and I will deal
with that at the end of my speech...
(Totnes)
(Con):...May I begin by thanking the Minister and all her
officials for the extraordinary amount of work that they have put
into assisting with the Bill, and for everything that the Minister
has done to progress the violence against women and girls agenda in
the House? I also thank Daragh Quinn in my team for his work and
for doing so much to co-ordinate and help with the preparation of
the Bill. I also thank the many individuals and organisations
outside the House that have made such a difference. I am thinking
of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, Paladin, the Gloucestershire Stalking
Advisory Service, the National Stalking Consortium and many others,
such as Police
and Crime Commissioners for Sussex, for
Northumbria, and for Devon and Cornwall, as well as officers from
Thames Valley police and Devon and Cornwall constabulary, I thank
them for their valuable advice, and I also thank the stalking lead
for the Royal College of Psychiatrists...
...I thank everyone who has contributed today with thoughtful
speeches and interventions, including my hon. Friend the Member for
Cheltenham, my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster), my
neighbour, whom I join in his tribute to the police and crime
commissioner for Devon and Cornwall for her courage in talking
about her experience. I also thank my hon. Friends the Members for
South Suffolk (James Cartlidge), for Mid Worcestershire (Nigel
Huddleston), and for Dudley South (Mike Wood), for their thoughtful
interventions. I thank the hon. Members for Huddersfield (Mr
Sheerman), for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) and for Alyn
and Deeside (Mark Tami), as well as my hon. Friends the Members for
Croydon South (Chris Philp), and for Bexhill and Battle (Huw
Merriman), for their ongoing and long-standing work. I greatly
appreciate all the support that I have received from colleagues
across the House...
(Sheffield, Heeley)
(Lab)...That issue was raised by several other Members,
too. The hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) raised the
issues that Suffolk experiences because of the funding formula;
next-door Norfolk, with very similar issues and priorities,
receives significantly more funding. The issue of the pensions gap
was also raised, and the £165 million of further cuts for 2019-20,
which is forcing Police
and Crime Commissioners to use their precept to
plug the gap. The hon. Gentleman rightly said it was indefensible
to ask local people to pay more in rates to plug a gap for the
Treasury when that money should only be spent in the local area on
local policing priorities...
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