HOME Secretary Charles Clarke defended his plans for new police "superforces" yesterday as the proposals came under renewed attack on all sides of the House of Commons.

The plans would see Gwent Police merged into a larger force, the option favoured by Mr Clarke being an all-Wales force.

The Argus is campaigning to retain Gwent Police, and the proposals have angered local politicians and local people.

Newport West MP Paul Flynn raised the issue of the police merger with Mr Clarke at yesterday's Home Secretary's Question Time in the House of Commons.

Speaking to the Argus after the debate, he said: "It was clear from the house today that there is very little support for this plan.

"The Home Secretary didn't give any indication on where the money is coming from for this reorganisation, and he didn't say the burden would not fall on the tax payer.

"Mr Clarke pointed out that some areas have supported the plan, so why don't they run a pilot scheme in those areas?

"I have been completely opposed to this plan from the start, especially in Gwent, which is a force that does very favourably.

"I hope the government had a jolt from the fact that no force met their deadline for stating a preferred option, and that they eventually see sense and ditch the plan."

On Saturday, we revealed that Gwent's top detective, Chief Superintendent Ray Wise raised serious concerns about any merger - fearing Gwent Police's culture of attempting to solve every crime could be lost in a larger force, and dubbing the three-month timetable given to police authorities to submit their preferred options for amalgamation as "indecent and unreasonable".

The chairman of Gwent Police Authority, Geraint Price-Thomas, said his organisation would not submit its preferred option until it was made clear who was paying the costs of reorganisation.

The estimated cost of all the mergers is between £500 million to £600 million according to the Association of Police Authorities.

Yesterday, Mr Clarke acknowledged that the plans to streamline the existing 43 forces to as few as 12 remained controversial, but insisted the changes were vital and supported by police chiefs across the country.

At Question Time Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, challenged Mr Clarke to pledge that no merger would go ahead without the backing of local police authorities.

He also sought a commitment that council tax payers would be told the cost of the merger.

"Unless you make these two commitments we are going to end up with a situation where local people are going to have even less of a say but are going to have to pay even more," he warned.

Mr Clarke said the full financial facts about any proposal would be available to all interested parties.

But he added: "I can't give you a commitment that there will be a veto on change with police authorities throughout the country.

"That would be utterly ridiculous in circumstances where the police themselves say that we have to ensure that our policing meets modern, 20th Century needs. And that is what I am determined to deliver."

Home Office minister Hazel Blears had previously told MPs that £125 million would be available to meet the costs.

Ms Blears said that a cost benefit analysis would be carried out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and said that she did "not necessarily accept" some of the figures which had been put forward.