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Business of the House

The right hon. Member will know, given his careful attention to such matters, that the process is a long one. The early stages include the opportunity for voluntary amalgamations by police forces who judge that to be appropriate, followed—in the event that there is no agreement on a way forward—by a longer period of consultation. In the spirit in which the issue has been raised in recent weeks, it is right that right hon. and hon. Members should have the opportunity to express their views in anticipation of that second stage, but obviously before any specific conclusions are reached, it would not be appropriate to have a debate on a substantive motion.