Police and Justice Bill

Amalgamations are not the subject of the Bill, but I will address the question of related powers in a moment. Intervention powers are long-established, and they allow the Secretary of State to fulfil one of the most important responsibilities that he or she has, namely to address rapidly any failings in policing. The rationale for the Government’s revisions to the existing powers is based not on theory but on the reality based on our experience since the inception of the original powers, and on our work in supporting forces to enable them to perform better.