Welsh forces face ‘difficult decisions’ under funding settlement, says minister
The Welsh Minister for Finance and Local Government says she recognises that the four police forces in Wales will have “difficult decisions” to make following the provisional police settlement for 2024/25.
In a written statement after the Home Office published its proposed police funding package for next year, Rebecca Evans MS confirmed that the Welsh government’s contribution for 2024/25 would be set at just under £113.5 million.
She said proposals for the Welsh government’s component of funding to police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in Wales for 2024/25 include the “provisional allocations of core revenue funding” for each of the four PCCs.
Ms Evans said: “Policing policy is not devolved and funding for the four Welsh police forces is delivered through a three-way arrangement involving the Home Office, the Welsh government and council tax.
“For 2024/25 the total core support for police forces in Wales will be £459.8 million.
“A common needs-based formula, operated by the Home Office, is used to distribute funding across English and Welsh police forces, and the approach to setting and distributing the Welsh government’s component of police funding provision is based on a principle of ensuring consistency and fairness across England and Wales.
“As a result, I propose to set the Welsh government’s contribution to police funding for 2024/25 at £113.47 million.
“As in previous years, the Home Office has overlaid its needs-based formula with a top-up mechanism funded by the Home Office. This ensures all police forces in England and Wales can expect to receive an increase in core funding of 2.054 per cent for 2024/25. “
Ms Evans added: “I recognise that against the background of recent high rates of inflation this will require the four police forces in Wales to make difficult decisions on services, efficiencies, and council tax precepts.
“All our PCCs have been consulting with their local communities on the level of local funding for 2024/25 and I know they will be keenly aware of the cost of living pressures many households continue to face.”
She said the announcement marks the start of a consultation period, which will end on January 10. Following this, allocations may be revised for the final settlement.