Thames Valley Police commissioner calls for review of funding allocation after Autumn Budget

Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, sent an open letter to the Home Office.

He is calling for an urgent review into the way police funding is allocated after the announcement of the Autumn Budget.

Commissioner Barber wrote: “I am writing to urge you to rapidly reconsider the way in which in-year adjustments to police funding are allocated. I have written to the Home Office many times before requesting a review of the funding formula itself. The previous government had made

some progress on this, albeit slowly, but I understand that these plans remain on hold for the time being.

“Aside from the need for a longer term solution for police funding in Thames Valley, we now face an acute problem which is exacerbated by this unfair funding arrangement.

“Last week, as part of the Chancellor’s huge tax increases, she announced changes to both the rate and the threshold for Employers’ National Insurance Contributions. Whilst publicly it has been stated that the public sector will be protected from this increase in costs, this is far from the reality in Thames Valley.

“As with any other employer, Thames Valley Police will see increased costs based on the people actually employed; but we are expecting the Home Office to allocate any additional funding on the basis of the funding formula. Therefore, even if the Government do fully reimburse policing as a whole, we expect to see a shortfall of approximately £1.3m.”

The Government has countered by telling the BBC that "Thames Valley Police will receive up to £586.6m in funding in 2024-25. This is in addition to £5m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement.”

Commissioner Barber added: ““This is exactly the same position we have been left in from the pay rise announced for police officers over the summer. Whilst I welcome an increase in officers pay to recognise the difficult and dangerous work they undertake and to aid with recruitment and retention; again, because of the Home Office’s flawed funding formula, the pay rise was not fully funded by the Home Office, but cost the Force £1.9m locally.

Over the last few years, I have worked hard with the Chief Constable to raise officer numbers to the point where at the start of this financial year we had record numbers of officers in Thames Valley and we are doubling the number of officers in neighbourhood policing.

“If the Home Office persist in providing these additional grants, on the basis of the funding formula, this problem will only get worse. If I go out to the public in Thames Valley and ask them for more money through their council tax, I want to be able to demonstrate greater capacity and capability for frontline policing to help to further cut crime, rather than having to increase tax locally to pay for another tax rise imposed by the Treasury.”