§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average percentage rise in the government grant to police authorities is for the forthcoming financial year; and what the percentage increase was for the Essex police force. [91397]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 20 January 2003]: I have been asked to reply.
The average percentage increase in general policing grants to police authorities in England and Wales for 2003–04 is 4.3 per cent.
Essex police authority will receive a 3 per cent. increase in general grants. The authority will also receive £0.5 million from the Rural Policing Fund and £5.79 million from the Crime Fighting Fund, taking the overall increase to 3.5 per cent. Essex will also receive £2.33 million for the Airwave communication system.
§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make allowance for inaccuracies in the 2001 census count when considering the grant allocation for 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [92495]
§ Mr. RaynsfordIt is the policy of the Deputy Prime Minister to use consistent data for all authorities in the calculation of formula grant. For population estimates, this means the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be using the Registrar General's mid-year population estimates, as derived from the 2001 census and published by the Office for National Statistics. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) are confident that the approach taken for the 2001 census provides the most accurate estimates of the population both nationally and for each of the 376 local authorities in792W England and Wales. ONS are not anticipating making changes to their figures, but if this should occur the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consider what impact these may have on the Local Government Finance Settlement. The floors provided for under the Local Government Settlement ensure that no authority receives an increase in grant less than inflation in 2003–04 irrespective of reductions in the estimated resident population of that authority in the 2001 census.