§ 34. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on crime levels of the increased funding for rural policing; and if he will make a statement. [5175]
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§ Mr. Keith BradleyDuring the 2000–01 financial year, police authorities in rural areas received £15 million from the police modernisation fund to improve policing in rural areas. For the 2001–02 financial year, police authorities received £30 million.
Police authorities are required to publish a statement on how the money has been, and will be, spent in their annual policing/best value performance plan. This statement includes what aspects of rural policing were or will be targeted for improvement; what level of improvement was or will be achieved and how the impact of the police in rural areas will be enhanced. Police authorities can use the suite of best value performance indicators to demonstrate the improvements in policing.