Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Herbert of South Downs and Alun Cairns

Monday 7th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con)]

21. What consideration she has given to the funding formula which allocates funding to each police authority.

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)]

The police allocation formula is a robust and credible tool for estimating police work load in police force areas. It continues to be used to allocate the majority of central Government funding that goes to police authorities.

[Alun Cairns]

The South Wales police force area includes Cardiff, which, as a capital city, has additional civic responsibilities, which obviously mean that the police force incurs ongoing costs. Will the Minister agree to look at that factor and to meet me to consider it further?

[Nick Herbert]

I will continue to look at that factor, and am happy to agree to meet my hon. Friend—other hon. and right hon. Members have met me to discuss that issue. I should point out that forces can bid for funds through special grants for events or unforeseen circumstances. That is restricted to expenditure exceeding 1% of a force’s annual budget, but South Wales police has benefited from such awards in the past.