Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that police budgets are adequate in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.

We will always ensure that the police have the powers and resources needed to keep our citizens and communities safe.

The next Spending Review will set long term police budgets. The Home Office is grateful to the police for the good work they are doing to build the evidence base to support that work, and we will also want to see evidence that this year’s investment is being well spent. In addition to working together to understand demand, we will be working with the police to present an ambitious plan to drive improved efficiency, productivity and effectiveness through the next Spending Review period.

The Home Secretary has been clear that he will prioritise funding for the police at the next Spending Review.