Police merger

11.13.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 14th Feb 2006

Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, has expressed her continuing frustration with the Labour Government over the proposals for the merger of Welsh police forces.

Ms Williams said: "This merger flies in the face of Welsh public opinion. People, politicians and the police authorities in Wales have expressed concerns about losing our local, neighbourhood policing, but the Home Secretary has ignored this. People want more bobbies on the beat, more community policing, more local accountability; instead we are to be guinea pigs for the Home Office's dream of creating 'superforces'."

"We need assurances that the cost of these unwelcome and unwanted changes will not have to be met by Welsh council tax payers. One estimate suggests the merger will cost £57million in Wales, but it is by no means clear where that money is to come from. It is time for Rhodri Morgan to stand up for Wales and demand that his Westminster colleagues let Wales make its own decisions about the future of our police forces."