HL Deb 10 January 1995 vol 560 cc21-2WA
Lord Hooson

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the level of funding for police forces in Wales has been scaled down by some 4 per cent. compared with similar forces in England.

Lord Lucas

In a difficult local government revenue settlement it is necessary to balance the needs of police and other local authority services. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales is of the view that £300.7 million is an appropriate level of resources for police. It is less than the level of police resources implied by the full application of the police funding formula and this has given rise to the difference in scaling.

The sum of £300.7 million for police services nevertheless represents an increase of 6 per cent. on 1994–95 budgets and demonstrates the importance the Government attach to policing. It compares with a settlement increase for other local authority services of around 0.5 per cent. The Secretary of State for Wales is of the view that to direct resources from county and district council services to policing would put an unreasonable strain on those services. His funding proposals are provisional and are the subject of consultation.

Lord Hooson

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why, in allocating the additional £16 million made available to him to distribute between the four police forces in Wales, the Secretary of State gave £12.7 million to South Wales and £3.5 million to Gwent and nothing to the other police forces; and on what grounds he based his decision.

Lord Lucas

The allocation of resources between the individual police forces derives from a funding formula for police authorities in England and Wales which the Government propose to introduce for 1995–96.

The aim of the formula is to distribute money objectively and fairly in relation to each area's need for policing. The formula assesses the need for policing by looking at factors such as population density and the social characteristics of each area. It also includes approved police establishments as an indicator of need; this factor—weighted at 50 per cent.—takes account of the need for continuity and stability of funding.

The Government are at present consulting on the formula and resulting distribution of resources to individual police authorities. Their final proposals will be announced shortly.