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Police and Justice Bill

Any decisions about headquarters are operational matters for the police authority to consider in due course. The hon. Gentleman’s community will be concerned about local neighbourhood policing. Only this Government have given a manifesto commitment that every community in England and Wales—rural, urban and inner-city communities, and market towns—will have a neighbourhood policing team. Local people will know the names of those involved, have their e-mail addresses and be able to set their local priorities. The Conservative Government never said that there would be local neighbourhood policing teams, so I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman is wrong about centralisation. The Bill is about establishing neighbourhood teams, strengthening the basic command unit and the crime and disorder reduction partnership, locally elected members from local authorities playing a much more visible role, and conducting face-to-face briefings by the BCU commander and the local community safety portfolio holder to provide accountability. It makes provision for the community call for action that enables local residents to trigger action on the issues that are of concern to them. It also covers the standardisation of powers for community support officers. Each of those measures is about decentralisation and engaging local people. I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman is way off target when he talks about centralisation.