Fed chair renews calls for police funding reform

13 February 2023

Suffolk Police Federation chair Darren Harris has renewed his calls for police funding reform after the 2023/24 settlement was announced.

Darren spoke out after the Government raised this year’s settlement by £287 million to a total of £17.2 billion.

A lot of the extra funding will come via council tax precepts which local Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) have been given the power to raise to the maximum levels.

Policing minister Chris Philp told the Commons: “Because of the way we are allocating the funding between PCCs who deliver frontline services, versus money spent by the Home Office centrally, the amount of money being received by PCCs will go up by over a half billion, it’ll go up by £523 million.

“I would, of course, want to remind the House and to remind PCCs that before they turn to local taxpayers to increase their contributions, it is important for PCCs and indeed chief constables to seek efficiencies and maximise productivity before increasing levels of tax.”

Many PCCs, including Suffolk’s Tim Passmore, have already indicated they will seek to raise the precept by the maximum allowed under a change in the rules introduced by this Government.

Critics accused the Government of handing responsibility for the police budget to the council taxpayers.

And shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones said the grant funding “is down in real terms” and blamed the Government for “further burdening local taxpayers instead of dealing with inflation and properly funding the police”.

Darren said: “I supported the PCC when he announced he wanted to raise his precept to its maximum level and I urged our members to do the same because it was important that the Force received adequate resourcing.

“But the whole funding model is in need of reform from top to bottom  and we want to see this annual settlement replaced with something more sustainable and longer term.

“Forces should have the confidence to plan long-term policing strategy that goes beyond the 12 months their budgets currently allow, so a different approach which removes the variables and financial uncertainties.”

Mr Passmore said the extra funding was needed to maintain an efficient service and provide the resources needed to manage demand as effectively as possible for both the Force and the people of Suffolk.