APCC Response to the Police Grant Report 2017/18
Responding to today’s Police Grant Report 2017/18, Paddy Tipping, APCC Portfolio Lead for Police Finance, said:
“The provisional settlement for 2017/18 follows the broad guidelines set out in the Governments 2015 Spending Review. At local level, the proposals mean that PCCs will be able to maintain budgets at current levels in cash terms as long as the Council Tax base keeps expanding and they increase Council Tax levels by at least 2% in 2017/18.
“The plan to allow those areas with the lowest Police Council Tax levels to increase their 2017/18 charges by slightly more than the Government’s overall target of 2% is welcome, and we hope that further flexibilities will be made available to locally elected PCCs in the future.
“Now that inflation is starting to increase, while at the same time demands on local policing show no signs of abating, the proposals will still mean additional pressure on local budgets next year.
“PCCs and Chief Constables recently made a submission to the Government outlining the demands facing the service locally over the next few years, and it is vital that ministers maintain a realistic balance between national and local funding streams.”
ENDS
Notes for editors
- The Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2017/18 written statement is available here.
- Joint Submission – Future Levels of Funding for Police Services is available here.
- For further information please contact Jamie.hurst@apccs.police.uk 07710 716659