HC Deb 05 February 2001 vol 362 c660
12. Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome)

What assessment he has made of the average percentage change from 2001–02 to 2000–01 for police authorities in England and Wales in respect of (a) total revenue expenditure and (b) council tax precept. [147098]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke)

I am glad that the very full exchange on the previous question indicated its essential meaninglessness.

These are matters for individual police authorities, which are required to set their net budget requirements and issue precepts for 2001–02 by 1 March. We can make serious assessments about levels of total revenue expenditure and council tax precept only after that date.

Mr. Heath

Even if the Minister does not know the answer, I at least have some idea of it from having examined some of the budget papers of the west country police forces. The increase in precept has been anything from 5 per cent. to 9.7 per cent., and it has been 7.5 per cent. in my local force, Avon and Somerset constabulary. The problem is that most of the money will pay not for extra police officers but for the area cost adjustment, which the Western Daily Press has called the "tax on the West". When will we be able to put money into having extra police officers rather than paying for a national scheme that involves our funding other councils?

Mr. Clarke

Through the police grant and our crime fighting fund, the Government are putting resources directly into funding police officers up and down the country. We debated that point last week during the police grant debate. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, the area cost adjustment is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, within which the police system works. However, for the reason suggested by the hon. Gentleman, we are putting extra resources into the crime fighting fund and rural funds, and we are, by various other means, putting more resources into policing. That is reducing crime throughout the country, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman would welcome that.