The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee will be visiting Reading on Thursday 24^th April, at the invitation of local MP Martin Salter, himself a member of the Committee, as part of their ongoing inquiry into modern policing.

The Committee will be holding a public evidence session from 11am until 12.30pm in the Town Hall, Blagrave St, covering the issues of recruitment and retention, diversity in the workplace and the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing.

Key witnesses include Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Commander Ali Dizaei, a former Reading police officer and now President of the National Black Police Association.

There will be a Q&A session with key stakeholders from the audience at the end of the evidence sessions.

In February Martin Salter MP led a delegation of MPs from the South East to lobby the Home Secretary over the loss of over 1,000 experienced police officers to the Metropolitan Police over the last five years from the forces surrounding London. (A copy of Mr Salter’s press release and briefing notes are attached for your information.)

Martin Salter said:

“I’m pleased that the Home Affairs Select Committee accepted my suggestion to come to Reading to hear amongst other things about the very real problems we have in the Thames Valley with the Met. Police poaching our officers. The Committee hearing will be a great opportunity to push this issue up the agenda and make the case for a higher South East weighting allowance to close the wage gap with the Met.”