Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allocate additional funding to Merseyside police to tackle the safety implications of quarantining citizens flying back from Wuhan at Arrowe Park hospital.

Merseyside Police could submit a claim for additional costs incurred from policing an unexpected and exceptional event within their area in the form of an application for Special Grant, provided it meets the relevant criteria of threatening the financial stability of the police force and their capacity to deliver effective policing and/or the additional costs equal or exceed 1% of the force’s budget.

As set out in the police funding settlement for 2020/21, Merseyside Police will receive up to £359.4m in funding next year, if the Police and Crime Commissioner chooses to increase their precept flexibility. This is an increase of up to £27.1m on 2019/20.