Rurawhe Adrian; Nash StuartCHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): I understand the Minister of Police will now come to the Table.BRETT HUDSON (National): Thank you Mr Chair. I have several questions for the Minister if I may and I'd like to begin with an item of clarification. It was reported several weeks ago by New Zealand Police that they would not be taking in more recruits I think for at least until the end of this year maybe a little bit beyond that. I'd just like the Minister to (1) clarify if that is going to have any impact on the number of recruits trained and graduating prior to the end of this year or is it simply closing down a pipeline of future intakes? So pretty keen to understand: will there be any fewer recruits or graduation ceremonies for the remainder of this year than was planned before that decision was taken? And to what extent have the appropriations driven that decision? So was there not a sufficient increase in an element of the police appropriation to afford them to continue to the same degree that they had been training?On a similar vein about the Budget: is the Minister disappointed that the overall increase to the police appropriation is about 3.2 percent? Inflation's running at 2.5 so if we take into account the very worthy increase in expenditure for road safety many other items of the police business are either treading water with no increase or actually in real terms are going slightly backwards at least and to the extent that has an impact on why the integrated service response—while being funded in its current form in two locations for a bit longer it is not in its full form being rolled out wider. I appreciate the police don't carry all of that expense but they are not just participants. I know that certainly in Christchurch they take on a lot of the coordinative aspects and therefore there is expense involved in that.Similarly now we are three years in mental health nurses in custody suites—National piloted it this Government took that funding away but now it's just coming back as a pilot. Why is the money not there to roll that out broader already? Similarly co-response: National piloted that; it went away. I understand Wellington police out of operational budget are piloting again here locally so where's the money in the Budget and why is that not there to expand that now instead of going through another set of pilots which could be seen as navel-gazing by some?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Thank you. There are three questions there I'll answer quickly. In the last two Budgets there's been $558 million actually allocated to family harm and sexual violence. Of that police have received $65 million—so a substantial increase to help fight family harm and sexual violence.The first point that the member made about the reducing of police numbers: attrition in the police service is running at the moment at about 2.1 percent. Police came to me and said Our numbers are way up; what should we do?" And I said "There is no way we are stopping the training of policemen and policewomen." So I went to the Minister of Finance we got more money training is continuing all the way through so there is no slowdown in the recruitment of police officers. The second question—I can't remember what that was.Brett Hudson: That's a very good question. What was the second question? It was about—oh it was the general statement that the total increase is 3.2 percent but inflation's high.Hon STUART NASH: Yeah sure. So a significant amount of money was given to the New Zealand Police service in Budget 2018 and 2019 that is still out there being spent at the moment. So keep in mind the money that we got in 2020 was on top of the money that was already allocated in the previous two years. So we are spending a significant amount of money on the New Zealand Police: 2200 recruits gone through training college. The member knows the number: 1253 more police on our front line since we came into Government.BRETT HUDSON (National): Thank you Mr Chair. I must get an updated number from the Minister through a written question because at 1 June it was 1104. But we like to see—increases are good.I'm just seguing now into—because of the remaining time that we're going to have for this—the major concern around the proliferation of not just gang numbers but the escalating tensions and offences being committed particularly violent offences being committed particularly those involving firearms. The gangs said last year in the middle of the buy-back that they weren't going to participate. Police have acknowledged several times in various hearings that they didn't anticipate that the gangs would. So I would like to know what are they going to do to actually give the police the resources to get out there proactively get these firearms out of the hands of gang members not just when they do drug busts but get out there quickly.Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Organised crime gang units are being set up around the country. We are dedicating 700 of those 1800 police to organised crime squads. We are going very very hard. If you read the media there's about a bust once every two weeks at the moment and we're taking assets and firearms off gang members in record numbers.BRETT HUDSON (National): So I thank the Minister for that—CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Sorry to interrupt the member but it has come time for me to report progress.Debate interrupted.House resumed.The Chairperson reported progress on the Appropriation (2020/21 Estimates) Bill.Report adopted.The House adjourned at 12.56 p.m. (Wednesday)"