Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding to tackle gun crime for (a) Merseyside Police and (b) other police forces.

The Home Secretary is in regular discussion with the Chancellor about Home Office funding, including that for the police.

The 2015 Spending Review protected police funding in real terms, assuming Police and Crime Commissioners maximise precept. Since then, police forces have received broadly flat cash direct resource funding and we are increasing investment in transformation and improved communications and technology capabilities. As a result, Merseyside police force received £500,000 more in 2017/18 compared with 2015/16.

However, the Government recognises that the police have faced significant challenges this year. We have, therefore, set in hand a programme of engagement to understand better the demands they face, and how these can best be managed. As part of this, the Minister for Policing and Fire Minister will be visiting a number of forces, including Merseyside, over the next few months.