East Surrey MP, Peter Ainsworth has written to the Home Secretary, John Reid, urging him to reconsider his decision to effectively sap £549,000 from the budget of East Surrey Police Authority.
His letter follows the news that Surrey police can expect compensation for their preparations for the aborted police force mergers of “up to £100,000”. This is despite Surrey Police Authority submitting a request to the Home Office for £649,000 to cover the various costs of preparing for the merger of Sussex and Surrey police forces. Following pressure from police and the public the Government was forced to abandon its plans to merge police forces in July this year.
Peter Ainsworth said:
“Police forces up and down the country undertook these preparations in good faith and on the understanding that they would be compensated fully for doing so. Having abandoned its unworkable plans the Government is now refusing to cough up for its costly mistake. It is unacceptable that local police forces should have to suffer as a direct result of the Government’s incompetence”.
He went on to say:
“Surrey police’s budget is already stretched. I simply cannot see where savings could be made without cutting essential front line services and putting Surrey residents at risk. I have written to the Home Secretary to urge him to reconsider his decision.”
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