A FEDERATION of the four police forces serving Yorkshire and Humberside would "command most support" with the public rather than a forced merger, MPs said.
In a Commons early day motion, John Grogan, Labour MP for Selby, said he believed it would allow "greater collaboration" between the forces while maintaining their independence and accountability.
The forces - South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humberside - all face "very different challenges", he said.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke said last month that an assessment by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary had concluded there was "only one acceptable option" for the North East, the North West, the West Midlands and Wales, involving mergers of police forces.
North Yorkshire and Humberside police authorities have expressed a wish for a full merger across the region, but the larger forces of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire police authorities wish to stay as they are.
Mr Grogan's motion said: "I believe this option would allow greater collaboration between forces on protective services whilst maintaining their independence and existing well-supported structures of accountability to local people."
His motion is backed by three of the region's other MPs, Tories David Curry (Skipton and Ripon) and Philip Davies (Shipley) and Halifax Labour MP Linda Riordan.
