§ Mr ShersbyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the cost of implementing in full the agreement reached by the Police Negotiating Board; and what will be the cost resulting from his decision to set aside the agreement on rent allowances and related matters.
§ Mr. Peter LloydMy right hon. and learned Friend has decided that serving officers who are receiving rent allowance on 31 March should receive no less after that date and that officers living in accommodation provided by the police authority on the same date should receive a transitional allowance of £300 a year for up to three years. These decisions mean that the level of expenditure on rent allowance is unlikely to be significantly reduced in the next financial year. There are too many hypothetical factors for a meaningful comparison to be made between this situation and what would have happened had my right hon. and learned Friend accepted the agreement of the Police Negotiating Board in full.