Funding '˜not enough' to cover policing costs

Lancashire's police and crime commissioner has called on the Government to '˜come clean' to council tax payers about the increased funding for policing announced in the House of Commons.
Police and crime commissioner Clive GrunshawPolice and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw
Police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw

Policing minister Nick Hurd has revealed Lancashire’s funding will stay at around £190m.

Lancashire police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw warned the funding announced for the county failed “to deliver any new money from Government directly towards policing.”

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He said: “The Government need to be clear, based on their announcement, any increase in local funding is completely reliant on police and crime commissioners raising council tax by the highest amount we possibly can.

With inflation at its highest for years and increasing pressures on a service which has seen Lancashire lose 800 officers and more than 400 police staff, the Government knows this means commissioners will need to raise council tax to even maintain the service residents need and deserve.

“After years of disingenuously claiming to be protecting police budgets, when forces like Lancashire have received less and less, the Government now expects local council tax payers to bail them out.”

The Government says police funding is increasing by a total of £450m in the coming year by including increased precepts.

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This is the amount of money taken out of council tax for policing, and would see bills increase. Police and crime commissioners have been urged to raise contributions by up to £1 a month for a typical household.