Oral Answers to Questions

Mike Amesbury Excerpts

Monday 25th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

16. What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on police forces of changes in the level of Government funding for the police in 2019-20.

[The Minister for Policing and the Fire Service (Mr Nick Hurd)]

As a result of the police funding settlement, we will be investing almost £14 billion in our police system next year, which is £2 billion more than in 2015-16. Up and down the country, police and crime commissioners have set out their plans to use that additional money to hire about 2,700 additional officers, including more than 40 more in Cheshire, which I hope the hon. Gentleman will welcome.

[Mike Amesbury]

Cheshire police force has lost 135 officers since 2010, and central Government cuts for a ninth consecutive year, in real terms, continue to put real pressures on our local resources. When will the Minister ensure that our PCC gets the resources that he needs?

[Mr Hurd]

As a result of the two funding settlements that I have taken through Parliament, the Cheshire PCC is now in a position to recruit an additional 43 officers and seven police community support officers. I am sure the hon. Gentleman’s constituents will welcome that and wonder why he voted against it.

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