§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will take into account the recommendations resulting from his Department's research into the cost of policing in rural areas in deciding the police funding formula for 2001–02; [111515]
(2) what plans he has to implement the recommendations resulting from his Department's research into the cost of policing in rural areas. [111451]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe findings of the independent research report on policing sparsely populated rural areas were considered by a Home Office chaired Working Group, which included representatives of the police service, police authorities and local authorities, last summer. There was no single view within the Working Group on the conclusions of the report. There was general agreement that a sparsity factor had been detected, but less agreement about how to include it appropriately in the police funding formula.
119WWe have also taken into consideration the need for stability in the police funding system to enable police authorities to plan ahead. In the July 1998 White Paper, "Modern Local Government—In Touch With the People", my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister said that we would not expect to make fresh changes to the method of calculation of Standard Spending Assessments (SSA) while a fundamental review of the local government grant distribution system is being conducted. This applies equally to the method of police grant distribution, as a common formula is used for distribution of police grant and SSA.
In the light of these factors we have not made any changes to the method of police grant distribution for 2000–01. The Government do not intend to make substantive changes to the funding formula during the more general review of the local government grant distribution system that is being taken forward in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.
Rural police forces will continue to benefit from the existing 'sparsity' element of the funding formula. This element allocates 0.5 per cent. of the available funding (about £35 million) on a judgmental basis.