Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce his decisions on police capital expenditure for 1991–92.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe provision for police capital expenditure will rise from £173.7 million in the current year to £219 million in 1991–92. This is an increase of more than 25 per cent. Most of the increase will be to improve spending on vehicles and equipment.
333WCapital grant to meet 51 per cent. of this expenditure will be allocated to individual police authorities to meet the costs of major building schemes which are already in progress or are due to start in 1991–92. Police authorities will also receive grant on the basis of over £1,000 per head of force establishment for expenditure on minor building works, vehicles and equipment.
The amount which police authorities may borrow to meet their 49 per cent. share of capital expenditure will also be increased from £41 million in 1990–91 to £67 million in 1991–92. This is an increase of 63 per cent. and will enable police authorities to meet more than half of their costs from loans.
Police authorities are being informed of their allocations of grant and credit approvals for 1991–92.