§ Mr. AustinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the additional special payment allocated to the Metropolitan Police was for each of the years 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000; [75755]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 1 March 1999, Official Report, column 556, if he will set out the basis upon which the additional special payment allocated to the Metropolitan police was calculated; and what criteria were adopted; [75753]
(3) what new factors he took into account in calculating the additional special payment allocated to the Metropolitan Police for 1999-2000 compared with 1998–99. [75754]
§ Mr. BoatengThe special payment was £130 million for 1997-98, £151 million for 1998-99 and will be £176 million for 1999–2000.
The payment was set at £151 million for 1998–99 following a review by Home Office officials which was the first comprehensive attempt to cost the Metropolitan Police's national and capital city functions. The report provided a degree of transparency about the additional payment which was not previously available.
In setting the special payment for 1999–2000, factors taken into account included inflation, policing related to millennium celebrations, and the overall importance of maintaining public confidence in the policing of the capital city.