Policing and Crime Bill

We picked the figure of six because it is the number of police force areas in the largest known region. The process is triggered by the figure going over six—when it goes to seven, eight or nine—because we believe that that represents a strategically significant development that the Government would want to be aware of. It might be that it is a tiny thing that has no real impact but, as HMIC said during the consultation, the Government should be aware of it. That is how we have arrived at that figure.