Crime commissioner calls for police funding review

Matthew Barber said a long-term solution for police funding is needed

Thames Valley's police and crime commissioner is seeking an urgent review of the way police funding is allocated following last week's Budget.

Matthew Barber said the changes announced to Employers’ National Insurance contributions would lead to a shortfall of about £1.3m.

In an open letter to the Home Office, he said the force was now facing "an acute problem" exacerbated by an "unfair funding arrangement".

A Home Office spokesperson said last week's Budget delivered "real increases in funding for policing".

Police funding comes from a government grant and also from a portion of the council tax paid each year.

The amount received by each force from the government is based on a complex formula that considers a number of factors, including population.

In his letter, Mr Barber said as any additional funding to help cover the increases in Employers’ National Insurance contributions would be based on the funding formula - it would leave them with a shortfall.

He asked for the Home Office to "rapidly reconsider the way in which in-year adjustments to police funding are allocated".

He said the pay rise announced for police officers over the summer had also impacted the force's finances.

"Whilst I welcome an increase in officers pay to recognise the difficult and dangerous work they undertake and to aid with recruitment and retention; again, because of the Home Office’s flawed funding formula, the pay rise was not fully funded by the Home Office, but cost the force £1.9m locally."

He added: "Choices made by this government since the election will leave tax payers in the Thames Valley with an additional pressure of £3.2m next year.

"This is before the usual pressures of inflation, the need to invest in new technology and to respond to changes in crime trends.

"This is the equivalent of a reduction of at least 66 police officers."

The commissioner said he had worked hard to raise officer numbers at the start of the financial year and had doubled the number of officers in neighbourhood policing.

He added that if he has to ask the public in the Thames Valley for more money through their council tax, he wants to be able to "demonstrate greater capacity and capability for frontline policing", rather than having "to increase tax locally to pay for another tax rise imposed by the Treasury".

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Thames Valley Police will receive up to £586.6m in funding in 2024-25.

“This is in addition to £5m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement.”