Transcript of this meeting [PDF]

Kit Malthouse (Chairman): OK. Jenny [Jones]?Jenny Jones (AM): Thank you. My first question was, are you able to make acommitment to Safer Neighbourhoods? You have covered that really. In your letter youdid not mention the numbers. You did not mention the one two blah structure. Iwondered if that is something that will be examined, as the Chairman said, thateverything needs looking at? Is that part of what will be?Sir Paul Stephenson (Commissioner, MPS): We have got to do it. I think it is the onlyresponsible thing to do, but there will be no changes without coming back here. We doneed to talk to local people and local neighbourhoods and find out what they want, whatthe local authorities want and want the councils want and then come back. Nothingshould be pickled in aspic.The one thing we should not do is throw away the benefits that we have had out of thisprogramme over a number of years now, and we are not going to do that.Jenny Jones (AM): How much control do you have over the way that boroughcommanders actually fund and organise their Safer Neighbourhood Teams?Sir Paul Stephenson (Commissioner, MPS): The control comes through TP.Lynne [Owens], over to you.Jenny Jones (AM): It is total control isn’t it!Kit Malthouse (Chairman): It is, in theory.Jenny Jones (AM): Is it?Sir Paul Stephenson (Commissioner, MPS): I have asked Lynne [Owens] to say butlet me just say something first. It is within the model that is agreed with the MPA.Actually, if you think about it, over the years this has been in, we have had lots ofdiscussions and every time we have looked at it - occasionally we get outside the 5% but,largely, we have complied with exactly what was laid down in the first place, and thatwill continue until we change it.Jenny Jones (AM): Is that what you would say, Lynne [Owens]?Lynne Owens (Deputy Assistant Commissioner, MPS): Currently we have very rigidcontrols. As the Chairman has said, we have had approaches from councils. I will justgive you one very practical example. Where five wards come together in a town centrethere can be confusion about who is responsible for specific issues. On those occasionsborough commanders have sometimes done some very sensible, commonsense andpragmatic things to make sure that we give the best service to communities and towncentres. In terms of the guidelines and controls; they are in place and very rigid.www.merrillcorp.com21