Policing needs long-term funding settlement, says Welsh lead

14 February 2022

The Police Federation’s Welsh lead has joined a growing chorus of calls for the introduction of multi-year financial settlements for policing rather than yearly announcements.

Demands for urgent reform were sparked by the Government’s settlement for 2022/23 which is going up £1.1 billion from the previous 12-month period to a total of £16.9 billion but fails to take into account soaring energy costs.

Welsh lead Nicky Ryan said she was in full support of Police Federation calls for a more efficient system that would help forces with their long-term planning.

Nicky said: “The settlement figure for the next financial year shows an increase of £1.1 billion on paper but in reality that money will just about cover the extra fuel and energy costs plus additional employer National Insurance contributions.

“Our members have faced incredible challenges in recent years and are just expected to get on with the job despite the toll that being pulled in all directions and heavy demand has placed upon them.

“The Police Federation is calling for multi-year financial settlements rather than these annual funding deals so we don’t have to go through this every year and I am 100 per cent behind that position.”

Police Federation national vice-chair Ché Donald is leading the calls for reform to the current funding model.

He said: “As the Government announces the 2022/23 funding settlement for policing, the Police Federation of England and Wales continues to call for a more sustainable multi-year settlement, rather than year upon year funding.

“The Government must consider a sustained multi-year funding settlement for policing, which will allow forces to make long-term strategic plans to respond to the changing nature of crime and support communities.

“The ability to plan past the next year will enable forces to achieve better procurement deals and to see overall costs come down.

“Without the ability to search for better deals due to the uncertainty of what is to come year after year, the 2022/23 marginal increase will get lost in the high day to day costs that forces are currently incurring.

“One-year financial settlements do not work and forces shouldn’t have to operate on a ‘hand-to-mouth’ basis.

“Over the last decade, the police service has been hit hard by budget cuts and it needs more than a one-year cash injection to put things right. What is desperately needed is long-term, genuine investment in policing.”