EXAMINATION
OF WITNESSES
(QUESTIONS 60-63)
8 JULY 2003
DR KEVIN
BOND AND
MR STEPHEN
RIMMER
Q60 DAVID
WINNICK: With Dr Bond going, Mr
Rimmer, what is the position with regard to the Unit? You have
explained to us already that a successor will be in place in due
course, but is it intended that the Unit will remain for some
time?
MR
RIMMER: Yes.
For the reasons just explained, there are no current plans to
disband or merge or mutate the Unit in any significant way. Clearly
Kevin's successor, as the Director of the Unit, will have his
or her own views on how he or she wants to take the Unit forward,
but as being a core part of this performance framework that we
are trying to develop as a catalyst—as Kevin says—we
are working very closely with the Inspectorate, with ACPO and
with other key stakeholders. That is the terrain the Unit will
be operating in for the foreseeable future.
Q61 DAVID
WINNICK: Is there a time limit
in any way?
MR
RIMMER: Not
at this stage, no.
Q62 DAVID
WINNICK: On the other hand, would
I be right in coming to the conclusion that we should not necessarily
work on the assumption that it would be a permanent arrangement
for years to come? It is constantly under review, I assume.
MR
RIMMER: In that
sense as any other administrative unit within the Home Office,
it is there for as long as ministers want it to be there.
Q63 DAVID
WINNICK: Bearing in mind, presumably,
not only our earlier views but views which have been expressed
by a number both in the Police Service and those outside. Dr Bond
and Mr Rimmer, thank you very much for your attendance.
DR
BOND: May I
make one closing comment, please? You know my history—I
have been a policeman, I have run businesses pretty extensively—and
I am very much an educated critic of policing. I have seen it
around the world, I have worked extensively in different businesses.
I would make this comment. I believe policing in England and Wales
is delivering a very good service in the main. Increasingly we
are getting evidence from international benchmarking that underlines
that. I think the chief constables and the staff of the Police
Service in England and Wales goes out to do a jolly good job and
tries very hard. They are capable of more and they know they are
capable of more and they want to deliver it. I think what is happening
at the moment is helping them do that, but at times it is a tough
call when you are being asked to do more. Fundamentally I really
would like to make a point on record that I think they do a pretty
good job in the round.
DAVID WINNICK:
I think we would certainly agree with that and we know what our
constituents feel about the need to have a police presence. Thank
you very much, gentlemen, for coming along today; it has been
very informative.
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