17/06/2012 Sunday Politics North West

In the north-west: We look at the race to be labour's police and

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1741 seconds

There are clearly some issues around data protection. Some

agencies feel that they need to look very carefully at the way in

which they share data before they actually do so.

There is an issue of managing data. But they must prevent offending,

especially in this sensitive area. That is absolutely clear.

Witnesses were reminded of warnings like these.

Some of the girls are in care, and they think they are easy meat.

Had political correctness but in the way?

There was a statement that this was committed because of the Asian

community, and I disagree with it. The inquiry continues. I enjoyed by

a representative of the charity Barnardo's. What needs to change?

Every authority in the area has got to assume it is happening unless

there is evidence to suggest it is not.

And at the moment, is that not the default position of councils?

Different councils are as different journeys in their response to

sexual exploitation. From a north- west point of view, a lot of the

North West councils are doing really well, particularly in

Greater Manchester. I think others have got some work to do to get

their strategy in place. We had there from Rochdale council

that there have been questions over whether you can share information

or not. Clearly, you can, but do you find that, that people are

worried about this kind of thing? The information sharing aspect is a

difficult one. But the legislation we have says that we can share

information if it is about child- protection. So there's no need for

new legislation. It is already there.

And what about this issue of getting these kinds of cases to

court in the first place? Clearly, the committee were doubtful whether

greater Manchester police had done a good job. The police are saying,

actually, we did want to push it but the CPS felt it would be

typical deposited. Young people are unwilling to come

forward and talk about their experiences, and what happens is

they are traumatised again by having to go through the court

process. I think there are a number of police of bosses -- police

forces that are not policing in the right way. The whole system needs

to get braver in terms of its response to young people.

Is this an issue that comes across your desk as an MP?

Issues around sexual exploitation with children exist in every

community. There was a lot of discussion of the race element in

regard to Rochdale. Most pupils would say that is an issue, but it

is not the only issue. This happens in white communities. Every

authority needs to think, this is an issue for us. They are going to

have good thing about the victims. I think the court system is almost

at the stage where we used to be in relation to domestic violence.

These issues were never really gripped, and I think that now we

have made good strides, the same thing now for sexual exploitation

of young people... It is horrific, these kinds of offences. Everybody

has got to take responsibility falls -- for this.

Do you feel that the council in your area is dealing with these

kinds of issues properly, in the way that Nick is suggesting?

As Hazel said, it is a problem that is going across the whole of the

country. In fact, just before I came on, I asked Keith Vaz about

the Select Committee and what came out of it. He said that it is a

problem that is widespread across the country. It is not just down to

Rochdale. It is not really down to communities. It is happening all

across the country. Each area has its own problems. But I believe in

two weeks time, Tim Walton is going to be announcing two parliaments

are measures of how to curb this behaviour and this kind of crime.

What sort of changes do you think we should be looking for?

I was concerned about the council saying they have problems with the

data sharing. We brought in legislation that said clearly that

it is not a problem about data sharing. I think there are some

cult of barriers within organisations that the courage to

say, we have got a problem, the priority is the victim, let's do

share the information, white with domestic violence - people often

have a whole history of offending. How can you make the proper

decisions unless you have got the information?

And that is not about changing the law, is it?

Not at all. When I was minister, we changed the law. When you get a

case conference about an issue, you need everybody, from the GP, the

health service, the local austerity, to put information on the table.

What do we know about these people? Then you can tackle it. To have the

excuse about data sharing, in this day and age, is pretty poor. I hope

we can say to be a disease now that it is not be enough to say that you

were worried about sharing information. Surely the victims

come first. And what changes would you like to

see? I would like to see open

information. We have to stamp out this problem in our society. The

only way to do that is to have forces working together. We have to

have new legislation to make it difficult for this kind of

abhorrence in society to prevail. That is what I like to see.

The deputy cured -- Jon's Commissioner painted a grim picture.

Is that accurate? I think it probably is. The issue

is that sexual exploitation is still quite hidden, really. In

those areas where there are strategies and policies in place,

we are seeing evidence of it. It is not hidden. It is only hidden if we

don't look for it. That is the issue. I agree in terms of the

multi-agency approach. This is key. Not one agency can fulfil the needs

of young people who have been exploited.

Thank you very much. Who runs the Police? That's not

traditionally a question that's bothered most of us. It's been a

mixture of chief constables, government and local police

authorities. But it's changing, with arguably the most important

elections of 2012. In November we'll get the chance to vote for

new Police and Crime Commissioners for each force. Labour will

announce its candidates tomorrow. Elaine Dunkley's been to Merseyside

to see how they're getting on. Policing our streets has never been

so challenging. Last year's riots and budget cuts pushed our forces

to the limit. I had this message to the people

who responsible for this can the Nazi. You will feel the full force

of the law. -- this criminality. The government wants local people

to feel they have a say in local policing by electing a figure head

- the Police Crime Commissioner. What people want it to see that we

get away from the bureaucratic accountability of the past few

years. We have to give a local voice to police in the local area.

That is what people want. So it's out with the old Police

Authority and in with the New Police Crime Commisioner, who will

be elected every four years. Responsibilities include budgets

and hiring and firing chief constables. You don't need any

experience to apply and the salary is around �85,000 a year.

Tomorrow members of the Labour Party in Merseyside will choose who

they want to back for the role. So let's meet the candidates.

I intend to make it work, if I'm successful. We had a long way to go.

Peter Kilfoyle is a former Labour MP and cabinet minister. He's

helped put behind bars some of Merseyside's toughest gangsters.

His priority is tackling anti- social behaviour in residential

areas. I want to bring my years of

experience, my know how in terms of having been a government minister,

but more importantly just being born and raised in Merseyside. I

know what Merseyside needs. My biggest fear is that the wrong

person could be elected on a minority vote.

Bill Weigtman is the current chair of the Merseyside Police Authority

and a Labour councillor for Stockbrige village. His big focus

is on tacking domestic violence. 18 years' experience, 24 years'

experience of local government. I will not... I can hit the ground

running. Although we don't agree in

principle, I felt that I have something special to offer.

Former MP Jane Kennedy has held six ministerial positions. Her big

focus is on creating safer streets. I spent nearly four years in

Northern Ireland, where I was the security minister working with the

police, catwalk -- accountable to the public. I held the police to

account for their conduct. It is a role I believe a similar to this

new role that is being created on Merseyside.

Over in Lancashire, this YouTube sensation is drumming up interest

in the elections there, but in Merseyside it was difficult to find

any real enthusiasm. However there were plenty of people who knew what

they would do if they were in charge.

I would look at the antisocial behaviour orders.

This, like a lot of other things, it's just a layer of bureaucracy,

like the male of Liverpool. -- mayor of Liverpool.

I think we need more discipline in society.

And so now it's a waiting game to see who will do the new role

justice. The elections will take place in November.

Joining us for this is Albert Kirkby, a former police

superintendent with Merseyside Police. But let me start with David

Morris. How many constituents say to you that the problem with the

police is a lack of politicians? I think what must be addressed

first and foremost is that the police gets a lot of criticism from

all corners of society, sometimes needlessly. It is about time we had

an elected official in place to address what the public wants. It

is not unheard of. The leader of the council gets a mandate from his

counsellors and people through them, and he has got the chief executive

to act on it. The chief constable would act through the mandate of

the people. I want to see decentralisation and it going to a

police unit. What is wrong with that?

The role of the commissioner is so much the same as to what is in

place now. We have area commander responsible for people in their

areas. We have the police operative responsible. But behind all that,

there's a hold shaft of organisations that actually

scrutinise the police - the courts, the IPCC, the home secretary,

Parliament. So there's plenty of scrutiny there already. But one

thing that I fear greatly is the introduction of politicians into it.

When you look at what is happening in Merseyside, the mayor, he was

only voted in by the people in the authority, not outside. They

wouldn't go outside. He has openly said that he wants one of the

candidates to work with them because he knows her and also she

will be accountable to the Labour Party.

Hazel Blears, you are an expert here. Are you worried about this?

My solution was to have somebody who was a couple, but within the

local government framework. -- accountable. I have got concerns

about having a police commissioner, one person with all the power in

the system. There's so many things that the local authority to sort

out, especially at the social behaviour. You need to be connected

to the whole system. I would have done accountability

and chief superintendent level. I would have liked somebody in

Salford to be accountable. The bigger of Wigan would like somebody

accountable in Wigan. Stockport, Bolton, Bury, that is how you get

that local sense of this is my person, he or she is responsible to

me. The democracy element is really important. I think it is too big. I

think it is too remote. I think people will say, it is another

layer of bureaucracy. My other big worry is that the relationships

here will be key. If you have a commissioner who does not get along

with the Chief Constable, a commissioner who does not have a

great religion with the crime panel, that is a recipe for confusion and

not a great service. -- a great relationship.

Albert Kirkby, is there a danger that we elect this police

commissioner and all of a sudden that person started think, you know

what, I am going to start taking control of this?

I think that is a very real issue that has been taken on board. It is

not without a track record. If you look at the Old watch committees,

the political interference that took place at the serious and

organised crime agency, which has now been disbanded and reform. Why?

Because of political interference. Using that organisation to make it

look as if they are doing well - I think there's a role for month --

the commissioner. My concern is that all of a sudden it is going to

become politically run and politically organised.

I would take issue with that. I don't expect you not to, but it

is a real issue because... People have said that this will

become political, as if that is automatically a bad thing. If it is

political and you pick and choose who you want to investigate, that

is wrong. But actually, the number of crimes in your area, antisocial

behaviour on the streets, whether you are taking action, these are

political priorities. I think it is right that somebody is accountable

to the public for what the priorities should be. Obviously the

chief is going to decide on operational matters. But it is a

balance in a democracy. It is right that somebody...

Let me ask, what I don't get with this is you have put a system in

place where there's no Freepost. The only people who can compete our

political parties of rich individuals.

But can you name who is under police authority? I am an MP, and I

can't. You need somebody at the top who is democratically elected, he

can call the shots and can act on behalf of the public.

Now it's time for our smash and grab raid on some of the other

political stories that have been around this week in the region.

Here's Neil Morrow. Just who owns Blackburn Rovers was

on the minds of a delegation led by Jack Straw, who on Wednesday met

with the Sports minister Hugh Robertson.

I think it is genuine. I see no evidence that they had been engaged

in anything untoward. But there are big questions about who is behind

them. Mixed news on the jobs front this

week for the region. It's good news on the Wirral with Unilever

transferring 400 jobs to its Port Sunlight site and creating an extra

150 posts. It is great, especially for

Merseyside. But over in Tameseide, the council

is cutting 600 jobs, and that's on top of 1,300 that were shed last

year. More and more cuts are being forced

upon us. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans has

won a partial victory in his campaign for cheap Christmas card

stamps. Royal Mail bosses have announced a scheme allowing people

on pension credit, incapacity benefit and employment and support

allowance to buy 36 stamps at last Do keep your thoughts and stories

coming in. You can follow me, or indeed tweet me at @arifbbc for all