A delay in the delivery of the Emergency Services Network
programme by the Home Office is likely to land the Met Police
with a £52 million bill.
It is just one area of funding shortfall that will leave the
capital’s police having to find £1 billion of savings by 2023.
Today, the London
Assembly called on the Mayor to lobby Government
for compensation to cover delays in the Emergency Services
Network programme; to fully fund the Capital Cities Grant; and to
meet the cost of two annual police pay rises.
AM, who
proposed the motion, said:
“The Home Office’s failure to push through the transition of
the Met’s radio system to the new Emergency Services Network
programme on time is leaving our already overstretched police
force facing a £50 million bill.
“If the Government refuses to intervene, its programme of
cuts will mean that the Met will have had to find over £1 billion
of savings from its budget by 2023.
“For this reason, it is only fair that any costs incurred by
this delay are fully compensated by the Government.
“In addition, as part of the Government’s upcoming Spending
Review, it is vital that the Home Secretary secures the Met
remuneration for the National and International Capital Cities
Grant and the cost of the last two annual police pay rises”.
The full text of the motion is:
“The Assembly notes that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime
has made the decision to procure an operational radio fleet at a
cost of £52.3 million. We further note that this purchase is
necessary because the Home Office Emergency Services Network
programme has suffered significant delays, meaning the MPS will
still rely on the Airwave network until at least December 2022.
“Originally, the transition to new radios was scheduled to begin
in September 2017. The Assembly has explored the reasons for this
delay through its Oversight Committee and has expressed its
concerns about the additional cost this will place on the MPS.
“We urge the Government to prioritise delivery of the ESN,
ensuring that it meets the full operational needs of London’s
emergency services and that this work is not funded by taking
more money from already stretched national and local policing
budgets.
“The Assembly therefore calls on the Mayor to continue to lobby
the Home Secretary, as part of his efforts to secure fair funding
for the MPS in advance of the Government’s Spending Review, and
in so doing request the Government remunerate the MPS and MOPAC
for any costs incurred because of the delay alongside full
remuneration of the National and International Capital Cities
Grant and the cost of the 2017/18 and 2018/19 police pay rise.”
