Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion and amount of the (a) £18.3 billion police funding settlement and (b) the £746 million increase, is made up of council tax in England in 2026-27, according to the estimates made by the Home Office used to calculate the figures stated in the written statement of 28 January 2026, HCWS1285.

The final 2026-27 Police Funding Settlement confirmed funding to police forces in England and Wales of up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. Across England and Wales, this increase includes up to £364 million of additional funding from council tax precept.

In England specifically, up to £5.9 billion of funding will come from the police precept. This is an increase of up to £342 million compared to 2025-26.

As the police funding settlement precedes final decisions by policing bodies’ on their actual precept levels, published settlement figures are based on the referendum limit for policing bodies in England. The referendum limit determines the level of increase in Council Tax Band D bill levels above which a local referendum must be held. A £15 increase has been assumed for all policing bodies based on the referendum limits set out in MHCLG’s Local Government Finance Settlement. Published settlement figures are also based on tax base growth in line with the Autumn 2025 Office for Budget Responsibility forecast.

The tables accompanying the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 January 2026 provide a breakdown of precept funding for individual police forces. The overall precept funding, and increase compared to the 2025-26 settlement can also be calculated using these tables. The Written Ministerial Statement and accompanying tables can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.