Julie James AM, Minister for Housing and Local Government
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Further to the announcement of the Provisional Police Settlement in December, I am today laying before the Assembly the Local Government Finance Report (No.2) 2019-20 (Final Settlement – Police and Crime Commissioners). This sets out the Welsh Government’s component of the Final Police Settlement for police forces in Wales for 2019-20. It follows the completion of the consultation on the Provisional Settlement, and today’s announcement made by the Home Office on the final Police Grant allocations for policing bodies in England and Wales.
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 component of police funding provision is based on a principle of ensuring consistency and fairness across England and Wales.
As announced in the Provisional Police Settlement, the Home Office has overlaid its needs-based formula with a floor mechanism. This ensures all police forces in England and Wales can expect to receive an increase in funding of 2.1% for 2019-20 when compared on a like-for-like basis with 2018-19.
The figures are summarised in Tables 1 to 3 of this Statement, and are unchanged from the Provisional Settlement. Total revenue support for Welsh police forces in 2019-20 is £357.3 million. Of this, the Welsh Government is providing £143.4 million as unhypothecated Revenue Support Grant and Non‑Domestic Rates. The floor funding is provided by the Home Office.
The Local Government Finance Report is scheduled for debate in the Assembly on 12 February.
This information is also published on the Welsh Government’s website