1:50pm Saturday 5th January 2013
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed- Powys Police has spoken of his relief that no further cuts are to be made to the force’s funding.
However, Christopher Salmon says he will lobby the Home Secretary for any revised funding formula to take into account rural factors.
Mr Salmon issued a statement following the police grant settlement announcement on December 19th, which confirmed that government grant funding for Dyfed-Powys Police will be reduced by 1.6% in the next financial year.
This reduction is in line with the comprehensive spending review figures published by the Home Office in 2010 and had already been factored into the force’s cost reduction plans.
Mr Salmon said: “I am relieved that the Home Secretary has been able to maintain cuts in funding for Dyfed-Powys Police at the level which was published in the comprehensive spending review and that no further cuts are to be made.
“I am also very pleased that the Home Secretary has abandoned plans to adjust the damping grant, which Dyfed-Powys receives (amounting to £9 million per annum), until there has been a fundamental review of the police funding formula.
“I am convinced that the current funding formula does not adequately reflect the costs of policing a rural area such as ours. It is my intention to lobby the Home Secretary over the next 12 months with a view to ensuring that any revised formula takes account of these rural factors.”
Mr Salmon will consider the detail of the settlement early in the new year and present his draft budget to the Police and Crime Panel on January 25th.
He added: “I am determined that the burden on tax payers is kept to the absolute minimum necessary to sustain an effective policing service in Dyfed-Powys.
“While the settlement for next year is better than had been feared, we must continue to be prudent in the face of uncertain funding for 2014/15 and beyond.”
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