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Policing in London

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate, which I welcome. I endorse the comments made by the Minister and by my hon. Friend the Opposition Front-Bench spokesman about the desirability of having the debate. It is a shame that more people are not here, but I hope that it gets the publicity that it deserves. It is an important issue for many of us in London. I am sorry that the Minister with responsibility for London has just departed. I pay tribute to him and to the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety for securing this debate. I was about to observe that there was a continuity of West Ham supporters on the Government Front Bench, a continuity that I can only hope will be replicated in results over the next couple of weeks.