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| Police to get up to £450m extra funding in Government U-turn | Police to get up to £450m extra funding in Government U-turn |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Government is increasing police funding by up to £450m in a U-turn coming after ministers repeatedly refused requests for extra money to combat rising terror and violence. | The Government is increasing police funding by up to £450m in a U-turn coming after ministers repeatedly refused requests for extra money to combat rising terror and violence. |
| Nick Hurd, the policing minister, said the money must be used alongside continued “efficiencies” and reserves to ensure forces have the resources they need. | Nick Hurd, the policing minister, said the money must be used alongside continued “efficiencies” and reserves to ensure forces have the resources they need. |
| “I have listened to Police and Crime Commissioners, chief constables and frontline officers,” he told the House of Commons. “It is clear that there is a shifting pattern of demand on police.” | “I have listened to Police and Crime Commissioners, chief constables and frontline officers,” he told the House of Commons. “It is clear that there is a shifting pattern of demand on police.” |
| Crimes recorded by police have risen by 13 per cent in a year, including a surge in acid attacks, stabbings, sexual offences and cyber crime. | Crimes recorded by police have risen by 13 per cent in a year, including a surge in acid attacks, stabbings, sexual offences and cyber crime. |
| Mr Hurd said there was also a rising number of victims coming forward to report “hidden crimes” such as domestic abuse, modern slavery and child sexual exploitation. | Mr Hurd said there was also a rising number of victims coming forward to report “hidden crimes” such as domestic abuse, modern slavery and child sexual exploitation. |
| “Public safety is our number one priority and we have responded swiftly to evidence of a shift in demand on forces,” he added. | “Public safety is our number one priority and we have responded swiftly to evidence of a shift in demand on forces,” he added. |
| “This new comprehensive settlement will mean local forces can be more effective in their critical work to fight crime and protect the public.” | “This new comprehensive settlement will mean local forces can be more effective in their critical work to fight crime and protect the public.” |
| But Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, claimed Mr Hurd had not been “listening hard enough” to police. | But Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, claimed Mr Hurd had not been “listening hard enough” to police. |
| “We’ve seen the highest annual rise in police recorded crime in over a decade,” she told MPs. | “We’ve seen the highest annual rise in police recorded crime in over a decade,” she told MPs. |
| “The public is increasingly conscious that austerity is as damaging to policing as other public services, because you cannot keep people safe on the cheap.” | “The public is increasingly conscious that austerity is as damaging to policing as other public services, because you cannot keep people safe on the cheap.” |
| The Home Office said the budget for counter-terror policing will go up by 7 per cent in the 2018/19 financial year, seeing a £50m increase to at least £757m. | The Home Office said the budget for counter-terror policing will go up by 7 per cent in the 2018/19 financial year, seeing a £50m increase to at least £757m. |
| There will also be £130m extra for Government priorities such as digital technology and special grants to help forces with exceptional costs. | There will also be £130m extra for Government priorities such as digital technology and special grants to help forces with exceptional costs. |
| Police forces will have access to £175m Police Transformation Fund to drive new technology and reform. | Police forces will have access to £175m Police Transformation Fund to drive new technology and reform. |
| The increase calculated by the Government includes the use of “precept” – the amount of money taken out of council tax for policing. | The increase calculated by the Government includes the use of “precept” – the amount of money taken out of council tax for policing. |
| Locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners have been urged to raise precept contributions by up to £1 a month for a typical household, potentially driving an increase of £270m in England and Wales. | Locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners have been urged to raise precept contributions by up to £1 a month for a typical household, potentially driving an increase of £270m in England and Wales. |
| The Liberal Democrats branded the policy a “stealth council tax rise” and said it would not be enough to protect forces from the impact of inflation and other pressures. | |
| Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, said the settlement would “ensure forces have the resources they need to keep us safe”. | Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, said the settlement would “ensure forces have the resources they need to keep us safe”. |
| “Taxpayers will invest more money in forces because the work our officers do to protect us is absolutely vital, and we recognise demand is changing,” she added. | “Taxpayers will invest more money in forces because the work our officers do to protect us is absolutely vital, and we recognise demand is changing,” she added. |
| “However, my message to police forces is that this increased investment must mean we raise the pace of reform. | “However, my message to police forces is that this increased investment must mean we raise the pace of reform. |
| “For too long embracing digital and increasing productivity have been tomorrow’s policing problems – now they are today’s necessities. The Government is committed to meeting this challenge and we want policing to do the same.” | “For too long embracing digital and increasing productivity have been tomorrow’s policing problems – now they are today’s necessities. The Government is committed to meeting this challenge and we want policing to do the same.” |
| Last month, Ms Rudd told senior police officers to stop asking for more money to combat a rise in recorded crime, violence, 999 calls and terrorism. | Last month, Ms Rudd told senior police officers to stop asking for more money to combat a rise in recorded crime, violence, 999 calls and terrorism. |
| “When crime stats go up, I don’t just want to see you reaching for a pen to write a press release asking for more money from the Government,” she told a conference in London at the time. | “When crime stats go up, I don’t just want to see you reaching for a pen to write a press release asking for more money from the Government,” she told a conference in London at the time. |
| Despite the apparent U-turn, Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the Home Affairs Committee, said the money from central Government to local police forces was still being cut in real terms. | Despite the apparent U-turn, Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the Home Affairs Committee, said the money from central Government to local police forces was still being cut in real terms. |
| “This is really not enough funding for police forces across the country given the immense pressures they face,” she added. | “This is really not enough funding for police forces across the country given the immense pressures they face,” she added. |
| Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said the “smoke and mirrors” announcement would not give the Metropolitan Police the money they need to do their job. | Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said the “smoke and mirrors” announcement would not give the Metropolitan Police the money they need to do their job. |
| Britain's largest force has already released guidelines instructing officers to stop investigating some “low-level crimes” as it works to save £400m by 2020. | Britain's largest force has already released guidelines instructing officers to stop investigating some “low-level crimes” as it works to save £400m by 2020. |
| Saying there would be “no choice” but to take more funding from council tax, Mr Khan added: “The Government’s approach is putting Londoners’ safety at risk and beggars belief after a year in which we have had four horrific attacks on our city.” | |
| The Government vowed to repeat the same settlement in 2019/20 on the condition that “substantial progress” was made in productivity and efficiency. | |
| The Home Office said it had identified around £100m of “potential savings to be made through smarter procurement of everything from cars to uniforms” and called on police to save money by increasing productivity and mobile working. | The Home Office said it had identified around £100m of “potential savings to be made through smarter procurement of everything from cars to uniforms” and called on police to save money by increasing productivity and mobile working. |
| It also announced that it would be publishing details of the reserves held by police forces, which currently amount to more than £1.6bn, although the ways in which they can be used are limited. | It also announced that it would be publishing details of the reserves held by police forces, which currently amount to more than £1.6bn, although the ways in which they can be used are limited. |
| Last month, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said forces were failing to respond to low-priority crimes because of “significant stress” caused by budget cuts and rising demand. | Last month, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said forces were failing to respond to low-priority crimes because of “significant stress” caused by budget cuts and rising demand. |
| Inspector Mike Cunningham warned that some offences were waiting a long time to be solved or even seeing “nothing done at all”, adding: “Under austerity and under cut-backs, the requirement to prioritise has become more acute in recent years.” | Inspector Mike Cunningham warned that some offences were waiting a long time to be solved or even seeing “nothing done at all”, adding: “Under austerity and under cut-backs, the requirement to prioritise has become more acute in recent years.” |
| According to financial plans drawn up by police forces before Tuesday’s announcement, revenue expenditure would fall by 6 per cent from £12.3bn this year to £11.6bn in 2020/21. | According to financial plans drawn up by police forces before Tuesday’s announcement, revenue expenditure would fall by 6 per cent from £12.3bn this year to £11.6bn in 2020/21. |
| The number of police officers – already at the lowest level since 1985 – was predicted to drop further to 120,217 in the same period. | The number of police officers – already at the lowest level since 1985 – was predicted to drop further to 120,217 in the same period. |