The Home Office should postpone its assessment of the potential to outsource police functions, the Home Affairs Committee said yesterday.
Keith Vaz, the committee’s chair, said that the process for exploring the outsourcing of police functions should be delayed until the election of police and crime commissioners. “The Home Office must ensure it knows what services local forces wish to contract out, before allowing expenditure of £5m on what is little more than a fishing expedition,” he said.
However, the committee praised the department for having made “significant” savings through improved procurement practices, totalling £75m in the first three quarters of 2011-12.
A departmental spokesperson responded that “At a time of reducing budgets, we are working to ensure we get the best value from every pound spent on protecting the public.”