HC Deb 20 February 1990 vol 167 cc657-8W
Mr. Ground

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the total cost to public funds of the Metropolitan police in 1989–90 and 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waddington

As police authority for the Metropolis, I have approved estimates which provide for net revenue expenditure of £1,265.075 million in 1990–91. There will be a cash limit on current expenditure of £1,223.389 million. Capital expenditure is subject to separate controls.

I have also approved the issue of a precept of £112.79 per head of relevant population for Metropolitan police purposes. This is not the charge levied on individual community charge payers, but will be levied on local authorities' collection funds which will derive income from revenue support grant, national non-domestic rates and community charges.

I have approved an increase of £10.461 million in the cash limit of £1,082.391 million for the current year, which was announced on 14 February 1989. This increase has been necessitated by the 57.5 per cent. increase in the police rent allowance made during the year, which imposed additional spending of £23 million over and above the provision made in the cash limit. The Metropolitan police have succeeded in absorbing about half this sum, but I am satisfied that they could not meet the whole of it without affecting police recruitment plans, and have therefore approved this increase.