£35 Million On ID Cards But No Money For Derbyshire Police

12.00.00am GMT Wed 28th Feb 2007

Speaking in the debate on police funding in the East Midlands in the House of Commons today, Paul Holmes, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield told the Minister for Policing:

"Derbyshire and the East Midlands police have been underfunded for twenty years or more.

"In 2006 the Government agreed that Derbyshire police needed £5.7 million per year more but then said they couldn't have it.

"This is incomprehensible and indefensible. Derbyshire only gets 78% of the national average of funding for police per head of the population, making Derbyshire's police the fourth worst funded force in England and Wales.

"Derbyshire has 240 fewer police officers than Nottinghamshire, which is itself underfunded."

Speaking after the debate, Paul Holmes MP added:

"The Government is spending £97,000 per day, £35 million per year, just on civil servants planning for Identity Cards. Using £5.7 million of that money to put more police on the streets of Derbyshire and Chesterfield would be far more effective in tackling crime.

"The Labour Government's claim to be 'tough on crime' is completely meaningless unless they provide the money to put enough police officers on the street."