New Home Secretary should tear up Police merger plans

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 5th May 2006

Newly appointed Home Secretary John Reid must reject plans for a single Welsh Police Force, when he arrives at his desk on Monday. That's the message from Mike German AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader in the National Assembly for Wales.

Mr German, who has been a vocal opponent of the merger rushed through by Charles Clarke, has called on Dr Reid to make scrapping the hasty, ill-thought out police merger his first action as Home Secretary.

Mike German said: "Over recent months it has become abundantly clear that this merger is ill-thought out, has been rushed through, and many questions - not least about the costs - have not been answered. There is a real risk that people in Wales will face higher council taxes and a reduction in bobbies on the beat.

"The people of Wales, and the police authorities, are opposed to a merger, and the damage this risks causing to local community policing. John Reid has an opportunity to overturn the work of his discredited predecessor. I hope he will take it."

Mr German hopes that Dr Reid, as a Scottish MP, would have a greater understanding of devolution and would be more sympathetic to the arguments from Wales.

"As a Scot John Reid should understand better than many in the cabinet, the importance of devolution. His local police force in Scotland won't be subject to the Home Office diktat - the same should apply to Wales. He must make it happen, urgently."