WILLOTT RALLIES WELSH MPs TO SOUTH WALES POLICE FUNDING CAMPAIGN

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st May 2009

Today, at a public meeting in Cardiff over the planned closure of four of the city's central police stations, Jenny Willott, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, will announce that she has tabling a cross-party motion in Parliament calling for the Government to properly fund South Wales Police.

Earlier this month, Miss Willott uncovered figures revealing that South Wales Police has received the smallest increase in central government funding since 2000 of any force in the country. All other Welsh forces also had well below average increases in their funding.

The Early Day Motion (see notes) calls on the Government to fully cover the policing costs for all Welsh forces, including extra costs for policing the Welsh capital city. Jenny will be sending the motion to all Welsh MPs and asking them to sign.

Commenting, Jenny said:

"These police station closures are a direct result of the government chronically underfunding South Wales Police for nearly a decade.

"While I strongly oppose the closure of so many police stations in Cardiff, the Government has forced the police into a position where deep cost cuts are unavoidable. Whatever happens, South Wales Police have less money to spend on frontline policing and keeping the public safe.

"If these police station closures go ahead, I am concerned that there could be policing blind spots in the centre of Cardiff. This is deeply irresponsible as that the heart of the capital is one of the busiest policing areas anywhere in Wales.

"The government have been allowed to get away with short changing both South Wales Police, and other Welsh forces, for far too long. It is high time that MPs take the fight to the Government. I hope to rally them to do so."