• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

We spend so much time hearing about the wonders of New York policing. Sir John, I have to say that you are on record as being supportive of New York policing, but their model is this model. It seems to me it is the model that many prospective Mayoral candidates may aspire to. In fact, Mr Norris is on record as saying that he would like part-time control of the MPA, he would like to appoint a director of crime, he would like to review the performance of borough commanders, and he would like to seek the right to appoint...

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

Given the diversity and complexity of the service, would it be sensible for one person to direct the MPS, appoint the Commissioner, chair the MPA and judge the performance of borough commanders?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

So you can discuss it in private and not report it?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

Will he agree therefore to write to the Home Secretary and ask him to deduct from the Government's claim for credit the numbers of police that London's paying for?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

No, that is not exactly what I am asking you to do.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

I recognise what you are saying, but the vast majority of the savings have come out of the manageable part of the budget, which is roughly only 30% of your budget as indeed was reported to the Authority yesterday. An HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) report recently criticised the Met for de-civilianisation. That happens because the savings come out of the manageable part which is the civilian part of it. Is not the way in which the police are funded in London fundamentally ill-structured, in as much as the Mayor wants the sexy bit, which is uniforms on the...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

I would like to return to the theme question about paying for local policing. Police research itself shows that the contact time between officers and the general public is only about 32-33% of the time they are on shift. If that was raised to 42% that would effectively add roughly 2,000 police to the streets of London. So is not part of paying for local policing the way in which you effectively use what you have already?

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

The question was about the structural model.