Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Mills Excerpts

Monday 20th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We are running late, but the voice of Amber Valley must be heard.

[Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)]

14. Whether she plans to introduce a new police funding formula in the next 12 months.

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

We have not yet made a decision about what was called the fair funding review, but I assure my hon. Friend that a new formula will not be introduced without a full public consultation. In the meantime, we are completing our review of demand and resilience in the police system ahead of the 2018-19 funding settlement.

[Nigel Mills]

The Minister will know that Derbyshire has been particularly badly affected by the current formula, so we would greatly appreciate some progress on the new formula. In the meantime, can he assure my local police force that there will be at least an inflationary rise in its funding for next year?

[Mr Hurd]

I assure my hon. Friend that I have spoken directly to the police and crime commissioner and the chief constable in Derbyshire to get an update on the performance of the service and the demand on it. That will feed into the review that I have signalled, which will, in turn, feed into the decisions about the 2018-19 funding settlement, for which he will not have to wait too long.