PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(9 December 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the Police Uplift Programme ringfence clawback arrangement to prevent reduction of officer numbers in police forces (a) in Essex and (b) nationally.

Asked by:
James McMurdock (Independent)

The 2025-26 provisional police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, and equates to a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding.

Essex Police will receive up to £431.1 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £24.9 million when compared to 2024-25.

Additional funding for police forces, including funding for pay awards, should be considered in totality – including both government grants and precept.

This Government is committed to maintaining officer numbers. The Police Officer Maintenance grant provides funding to forces that successfully maintain officer headcounts as set out in the Police Funding Settlement. Forces are ineligible to receive funding if they fail to achieve these targets.

Based on the last published Police Workforce Statistics total officer numbers across England and Wales, and in Essex police, met officer maintenance requirements.

Answered by:
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