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Police and Justice Bill

I do not know the details of the Metropolitan force, but the hon. Lady and other hon. Members make a powerful case against a one-size-fits-all solution. What is needed is local flexibility appropriate to an area’s geography and the nature of its communities. At first sight, Government new clause 4 seems to be positive but, as ever, the Government cannot resist increasing the powers of the Secretary of State at the same time. As a result, the new clause contains powers to impose limits on what may be delegated, and to direct police authorities and forces how and what to delegate to area committees or regional deputy chief constables. The Bill’s theme is one of interference and creeping centralised control, and it reappears just when it seems that the Government might be beginning to move in the other direction. As the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert) pointed out, the Bill and its creeping centralisation have constitutional significance.