Regionalisation of Emergency Services

“Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, this week announced that he is abolishing Lincolnshire Constabulary and imposing a merger with other East Midlands police forces. Today is the last day of the so-called consultation exercise on the proposed abolition of Lincolnshire Ambulance Service and its incorporation into a new East Midlands service including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. In fact the “consultation” is quite bogus. A decision has already been taken and a new Chief Executive appointed. Afterwards, Quentin Davies said:

These decisions show complete contempt for the people of Lincolnshire. The Police Authority, the Ambulance Authority, the County Council and every Lincolnshire MP opposed them. So far as I know, not a single Lincolnshire organisation was in favour of them.

The agenda is clear. Gordon Brown has now been obliged to trim increases in public expenditure. The Government want to give massive new resources to Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. They will do this by merging Lincolnshire’s capabilities into the “East Midlands” and milking resources from us. Mr Armitt agreed that there was a case for expenditure on Stamford Station and he undertook to let me know in what timescale we might expect the funds to be made available.

The news on the Ambulance Service comes at the worst time for Grantham and Stamford. Demand for the service is increasing at a rate of 12% per annum, partially as a result of the running down of the GP out-of-hour service and partially as a result of the reduction in the critical care capability at Grantham Hospital. I welcome that.”

On crime, no-one will now care what happens to the Lincolnshire crime rate. If the average crime rate in the region can be reduced, the new merged Police service will cry victory – even if, within that average, Lincolnshire’s crime level has risen. Our policemen and policewomen will be increasingly sucked into dealing with the appalling crime problems in Nottingham.

This is very good news for criminals in Lincolnshire – but for no-one else.

QD/ 2 May 2006