§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds he intends to make available to the Thames Valley Police during the coming financial year; and what impact he estimates such funding will have on recruitment policy for the Thames Valley Police. [94938]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeLast year the Government announced that the police service in England and Wales would receive an additional £1.24 billion over three years from 1999–2000. Our plans allow for police expenditure to increase by around 2.8 per cent. in 2000–01. No final decisions have been taken about the allocation of funding to individual forces for the coming financial year. We expect to announce provisional allocations towards the end of the year.
Police recruitment is not centrally managed from the Home Office. It is a matter for individual chief constables. The Thames Valley Police will be able to bid for a share of the crime fighting fund which the Government have set up to provide for 5,000 extra recruits over three years.