Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department first notified police forces of the timeline for the implementation of changes to quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes.

The valuations of public service pension schemes are undertaken in accordance with the framework set out under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, secondary legislation and HM Treasury directions. The timeline for the implementation of the quadrennial valuations was set out in The Public Service Pensions (Valuations and Employer Cost Cap) Directions 2014, on 11 March 2014.

At Budget 2016 we identified likely pressures on employer contributions to public service pensions of £2 billion and set out that these costs would need to be met within existing budgets. The valuations indicate that there will be additional costs to employers, above the level previously envisaged. The Budget confirms that additional funding of £4.7 billion has been allocated to the reserve to cover these expected additional costs.

As the Chancellor said in his Budget speech, the Home Secretary will review police spending power and further options for reform when he presents the provisional police funding settlement in December.