UK Parliament / Open data

Policing and Crime Bill

I thank the Minister as well as the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, who asked a range of relevant questions about collaboration. In my area, North Yorkshire, a very large rural area crossing the whole of England almost at the top of the country, we collaborate with West Yorkshire, Humberside and South Yorkshire. That is an enormous region. Is it then considered necessary for that huge rural area with a mix of urban and rural forces—mainly urban, with South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire—to collaborate with, say, Cleveland just over one side of the border and Cumbria on the other? Would that trigger the six parties? Would the Home Secretary say that those two little forces that made up the six had triggered his wanting to know what was going on? I ask this because it seems strange, although and I do not know whether the Minister is able to reply. Little Cleveland has a tiny force just to the north of North Yorkshire, where everyone can be hurled together in 30 minutes—the whole of the police force can be at police headquarters in that time. Cumbria may not be quite like that but, again, it is a big rural area, on the edge of North Yorkshire. I still do not see the point of the six parties being specified so clearly. Will the Minister comment on that before I think about withdrawing my amendment?
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
711 c1407 
Session
2008-09
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
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