MPs say Manchester Police funding crisis must be tackled now

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 8th Jan 2007

More savage cuts in policing across Greater Manchester are inevitable over the next three years, say the area's Liberal Democrat MPs, unless there is a massive Government U-turn on grant money. The four MPs emerged "shocked and dismayed" from a briefing meeting yesterday with Police Authority Chair Derek Osbaldestin, called to discuss the crisis over next year's Police Budget.

Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell said:

"We were told that there can be no chance of restoring the police officers lost this year, and that the Chief Constable's present calculation is that they will be looking for a further £27 million of cuts up to 2009. One fundamental problem is that although Whitehall has set a formula for paying grant, they have been holding back on the full payment. In the last 5 years that has cost the Police and council tax payers of Greater Manchester more than £35 million."

Now the MPs say they will be raising the issue urgently at national level.

Cheadle MP Mark Hunter said:

"I have already asked for a meeting with the Home Secretary, and I and my colleagues now fully intend to take the whole question of the crisis in police funding onto the floor of the House of Commons."

John Leech, MP for Withington, said:

"We will be pressing for a full debate, and some answers from Ministers. The fact is that wherever you live across Manchester there is not enough of a police presence. Further threats to police stations and manning levels are unacceptable."

Rochdale's MP Paul Rowen said:

"The Police are struggling now, with front line numbers propped up by cutting specialists elsewhere. We can already see delays building up there, and these new cuts will be catastrophic."

The MPs say that their priorities are to get the missing Government grant money put back into the Police budget, for this year's cut of 200 police officers to be reversed, and for a strong move towards community-based policing already a feature of better funded police areas such as London.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The cuts come at a time when crime in Greater Manchester is rising.  In this financial year to date (April 2006 to November 2006), recorded crime has been 3.6% higher than in the same period in the previous financial year.

2. The MPs met Police Authority Chair, Derek Osbaldestin, on Thursday 21st December.