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Building Britain's Future

It is important that we stick up for local people and for local clubs, to bring investment here locally. Squabbling in public on the pages of the Nottingham Evening Post does no good for us, either nationally or internationally. I hope that leading politicians in the area will see sense. I just want to make two other points. First, the Minister mentioned crime in the east midlands. He is right that crime has gone down consistently in the past five years. That decline is something to celebrate. However, let me remind him that the funding of all the police authorities in the east midlands—Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire—is below target. I want to see us have a fair share in the east midlands. If there is a target, I want that target to be met. It is manifestly wrong that the police forces in the east midlands are, in relative terms, underfunded. Progress is being made, but we want to see more progress more quickly.