Police and Justice Bill

The hon. Gentleman mentioned metropolitan forces, but we need look no further than London’s Metropolitan Police Service to see how difficult it is to police a metropolitan area with very different component parts. Outer London is very different from inner London: the policing needs are different, and there are constant pressures on budgets and the allocation of resources. Does he agree that the same will happen in the very large regional forces that the Government propose? They would face exactly the same problems, as they would cover both rural and more built-up areas, with their different policing needs. There cannot be a borough commander in the whole of Greater London who would not welcome more autonomy in dealing with his resources and budgets.