Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that Bedfordshire Police have sufficient resource to hit officer number targets.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.

For 2025/26, £376.8 million has been made available to forces to support achievement of officer number targets. This funding was distributed as follows:

• £270.1 million in ringfenced funding has been made available, which PCCs have been able to access, as in previous years, by demonstrating that they have met their officer headcount targets.
• £106.7 million has been paid to forces who received additional recruitment allocations in 2023/24 and 2024/25. This funding has been provided as an additional recruitment top up grant. It is unconditional, and the funding has been distributed according to how much additional recruitment forces were allocated.

For 2025/26, Bedfordshire Police have been allocated a total of up to £3,155,659 through the officer maintenance ringfenced grant, and £1,580,578 through the top-up grant, to maintain a total headcount of 1,466 officers.

Published statistics show the force achieved this target at the mid-year point. As at 30 September 2025, Bedfordshire Police had a total of 1,467 police officers (headcount).

For 2025/26, a total of up to £1,803,234 was also made available to Bedfordshire Police through the neighbourhood policing grant to grow by 38 FTE Neighbourhood Policing officers (30 FTE police officers and 8 FTE PCSOs).

As at 30 September, Bedfordshire Police had grown their neighbourhood policing function by 13 FTE.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will integrate Special Grant funding into the core settlement provided to Bedfordshire Police.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The 2026-27 Final Police Funding Settlement confirmed £49.6m for Special Grant in the coming financial year. Funding for Bedfordshire Police will be up to £175.8m, an increase of up to £7.5m from 2025-26. Special Grant awards will be confirmed in due course.

The government has set out an ambitious programme of police reform in the Police Reform White Paper, and has committed to reform of the police funding model.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will provide an update on the status of Special Grant funding to Bedfordshire Police.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The 2026-27 Final Police Funding Settlement confirmed £49.6m for Special Grant in the coming financial year. Funding for Bedfordshire Police will be up to £175.8m, an increase of up to £7.5m from 2025-26. Special Grant awards will be confirmed in due course.

The government has set out an ambitious programme of police reform in the Police Reform White Paper, and has committed to reform of the police funding model.

Found: Marie Tidball MP (EHC0010), Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (EHC0011), Mr Toby Perkins MP (EHC0013), Sarah Owen

Found: Current membership Sarah Owen (Labour; Luton North) (Chair) Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat; North East

Found: Current membership Sarah Owen (Labour; Luton North) (Chair) Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat; North East

Found: Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Minister for the Cabinet Office aster General 70 Whitehall London A2AS Sarah Owen

Found: present Florence Eshalomi, in the chair Maya Ellis Mr Will Forster Joe Powell Sarah Smith Ms Sarah Owen