Policing and Crime Bill

My Lords, I shall be brief in rising to support the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Henig, which would place a duty on top-tier authorities to co-operate with police authorities in delivering the Secretary of State’s strategic priorities and the confidence target. I was shocked, although perhaps I should not have been, to hear that only 50 out of 350 local authorities have signed up to the confidence target. The police cannot be expected to deliver in areas that are most appropriately dealt with in collaboration with local authorities. This is an important amendment and I support it strongly.