This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34280798
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police cuts not fully understood - MPs | Police cuts not fully understood - MPs |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The impact of cuts to policing is not properly understood by either the Home Office or local forces, warn MPs. | The impact of cuts to policing is not properly understood by either the Home Office or local forces, warn MPs. |
| The Public Accounts Committee said forces did not sufficiently understand demands, including how these were increasing as other services were cut. | The Public Accounts Committee said forces did not sufficiently understand demands, including how these were increasing as other services were cut. |
| The MPs also said forces outsourcing to make savings did not know if they were getting value for money. | The MPs also said forces outsourcing to make savings did not know if they were getting value for money. |
| The Home Office said reforms were working and frontline policing was being protected. | The Home Office said reforms were working and frontline policing was being protected. |
| The highly critical report from the committee comes after forces saw their budgets fall by a quarter since 2010 - and as they prepare for further cuts. | The highly critical report from the committee comes after forces saw their budgets fall by a quarter since 2010 - and as they prepare for further cuts. |
| But Meg Hillier, the committee's chair, said: "Too often cuts to services lead to 'cost shunting' with the police acting as the default support provider. | But Meg Hillier, the committee's chair, said: "Too often cuts to services lead to 'cost shunting' with the police acting as the default support provider. |
| "There's little understanding in the Home Office and in many forces of local demands." | "There's little understanding in the Home Office and in many forces of local demands." |
| The committee said only about a fifth of emergency or priority calls that police responded to were crime-related - but forces had no real data setting out where they were picking up work that could have been carried out by another service, such as a local council. | The committee said only about a fifth of emergency or priority calls that police responded to were crime-related - but forces had no real data setting out where they were picking up work that could have been carried out by another service, such as a local council. |
| "There is also no meaningful system for ensuring senior officers have the business skills to properly run the highly complex, multi-million pound organisations under their command," said Ms Hillier. | "There is also no meaningful system for ensuring senior officers have the business skills to properly run the highly complex, multi-million pound organisations under their command," said Ms Hillier. |
| "Evidence suggests most forces lack essential information they need to plan for the future. | "Evidence suggests most forces lack essential information they need to plan for the future. |
| "Outsourcing of services to private companies, where it happens, faces inadequate scrutiny and it is simply not possible to determine whether taxpayers are getting value for money under such arrangements." | "Outsourcing of services to private companies, where it happens, faces inadequate scrutiny and it is simply not possible to determine whether taxpayers are getting value for money under such arrangements." |
| Each police force's budget is made up of central government grants plus an additional "precept" that is collected as part of council tax bills. | Each police force's budget is made up of central government grants plus an additional "precept" that is collected as part of council tax bills. |
| But the committee called on the Home Office to rethink its part of the formula to take into account the different circumstances in each area. | But the committee called on the Home Office to rethink its part of the formula to take into account the different circumstances in each area. |
| Policing minister Mike Penning said: "Police reform is working. Over the last five years, frontline services have been protected, public confidence in the police has gone up and crime has fallen by more than a quarter over the past five years." | |
| He said the Home Office had consulted on proposals to reform the funding framework. | He said the Home Office had consulted on proposals to reform the funding framework. |
| Are you affected by issues covered in this story? Are you a police service employee? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. | Are you affected by issues covered in this story? Are you a police service employee? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |