MPA 61/2001 7 September 2001 MPA WELCOMES GOVERNMENT HELP FOR POLICE TO BUY HOMES The Metropolitan Police Service, with the City of London Police, will receive a total of #15.312 million from the government’s cash injection to help key workers buy their first home. This will provide financial help for 520 officers and support staff to buy their own property in London. Metropolitan Police Authority member Nicholas Long, Chair of the Estates sub committee said: "The MPA welcomes the government’s initiative. The MPA is acutely aware of the difficulties officers and staff face in finding reasonably priced accommodation within the Greater London area. "The starter home initiative will undoubtedly assist the Met with their recruitment and retention priorities. The scheme compliments work already in progress within the MPA. Our aim is to provide a greater range of housing choice for qualifying police officers and, in the future, some members of the civil staff." Details of how officers and support staff will qualify for the financial help have yet to be worked out, but considerations will be given to those staff who are most appropriate to aid policing in the capital. NOTES TO EDITORS The Authority’s Members are: Anthony Arbour (Assembly) Jennette Arnold (Assembly) Reshard Auladin (Magistrate) Richard Barnes (Assembly) John Biggs (Assembly) Cindy Butts (Independent) Lynne Featherstone (Assembly) Nicky Gavron (Assembly) Lord Toby Harris (Assembly) Peter Herbert (Independent) Elizabeth Howlett (Assembly) Darren Johnson (Assembly) Jenny Jones (Assembly) Nicholas Long (Independent) Cecile Lothian (Magistrate) R David Muir (Independent) Eric Ollerenshaw (Assembly) Sir John Quinton (Independent) Angela Slaven (Independent) Richard Sumray (Magistrate) Lord Graham Tope (Assembly) Abdal Ullah (Independent) Rachel Whittaker (Magistrate)