Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on the number of police officers in Lancashire.

If it maintains officer numbers at the required level of 3,586 officers.

Total funding to police forces in 2025-26will be up to £17.4 billion, an increase of up to £987 million compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement.

This includes a £657.1 million additional Government grant funding to police forces, which includes:

• £230.3 million to support forces with the increase to the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions as set out by the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget; and

• £100.0 million to deliver the first steps of this Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Commitment in 2025-26.

In addition to the force’s government grant of up to £284 million, Lancashire Police will receive £12,596,034 to directly support the maintenance of officer numbers in FY2025/26