Question
It has been an incredibly hard few months for Cleveland. Local people are not interested in point scoring, but they do want answers. Cleveland has the highest recorded crime rate in the country, yet the latest Home Office data reveals that it has 17 fewer police officers than it had a year ago. Can the Minister explain why?
Answer
The hon. Member knows of, and shares, our horror at what happened to the two Cleveland police officers recently—it was an honour to attend their funerals, which I know he did as well—and I will therefore not respond with a political point. We have been talking regularly to both the chief constable and the police and crime commissioner in Cleveland. Following that incident, we agreed to give an extra £2 million to contribute to tackling serious and organised crime, and today we agreed to provide a further £3.2 million to meet the additional costs that have been incurred. We are also considering Cleveland’s application for exceptional funding. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will welcome that additional funding for Cleveland and will work with us to ensure that it has the resources it needs.38% vibes
Verdict: RED (8/100)
The question asked why Cleveland's police officer numbers fell by 17 year on year. The reply does not mention officer numbers or give any reason for the fall. It instead describes funding allocations of £2 million and £3.2 million and an exceptional funding application. These relate to Cleveland's policing resources but do not explain the reduction, so the question is effectively unanswered and the person who asked would likely need to ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why has the number of police officers in Cleveland fallen by 17 compared with a year earlier? | Not Addressed | Generic | The question asks why Cleveland's police officer numbers fell by 17 year on year, but the reply never mentions officer numbers or any cause of the fall. It discusses the £2 million and £3.2 million funding allocations and an exceptional funding application, which bear on Cleveland's policing resources but do not explain the reduction. |