Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the potential effect of planned increases to the employer contributions of the police pension scheme on police officer recruitment.

The additional cost to policing in 2019-20 of employer contributions to police pensions is estimated to be £330 million.

The 2019-20 police funding settlement provides additional funding of over £970 million, including general Government grant funding, pensions grant, council tax precept and investment in national priorities. This substantial increase in funding will enable forces to meet their genuine financial pressures as well as to invest in key capabilities. Police and Crime Commissioners have already set out plans to hire an additional 2,900 officers and nearly 600 police staff and PCSOs.