MP [Sheffield South East and
Chair of Housing Communities and Local Government Select
Committee] has called on the government to fully reimburse South
Yorkshire Police for the costs of local police officers who have
been deployed to other parts of the UK to provide security for
the visit of President Donald Trump.
Although South Yorkshire Police will be reimbursed for the direct
costs of the officers deployed, that by no means covers the whole
cost, nor the massive disruption both to local policing and to
the lives of local police officers and their families.
For instance, the Chief Constable has been forced to cancel all
weekly leave, and police officers have had to be called in at
overtime and rest-day working rates, and these will not be
reimbursed.
challenged Police Minister,
, in Parliament* to meet the full
costs of the deployment.
said:
“It is the government who decided to invite President Trump
to the UK – although they are probably regretting it now – but
the people of South Yorkshire who are paying the cost of
it.”
continued:
“Whatever the outcome of this challenge, it was good to
receive Ministerial confirmation and congratulation to South
Yorkshire Police on being the most improved police service in the
country.
I do not think it is any coincidence that considerable
progress has been made since the departure of the previous Chief
Constable and the arrival of the new one.
Despite the government’s funding restrictions, things are now
looking up for policing in South Yorkshire. Reimbursement of all
the costs of President Trump’s visit would help.”
Further information:
* TRUMP VISIT
Chair, Housing,
Communities and Local Government
Committee: The chief constable
of South
Yorkshire police—it should be congratulated on being the
most improved police service in the country—has advised me that
the cost of officers deployed to other parts of the country will
be covered by the Government.
However, where those officers have to be covered back in South
Yorkshire, with overtime and rest day working, the costs will not
be covered, and the chief constable has had to cancel all weekly
leave, with the disruption that that will bring to services in
South Yorkshire.
Would it not be better if the Government just agreed to cover all
the costs of the visit? After all, they invited President Trump.
The Minister of State, Home
Department: First, I
congratulate South
Yorkshire police force on the fantastic progress it is
making, and it is important that we should recognise that.
I am very aware that this is a very significant policing
operation, which has significant short-term costs but also has
implications for the force management of local forces for some
time.
We do have a mechanism to help with the short-term costs. As I
said to the Chairman of the Select Committee, we
are doing serious work on the funding requirements for local
police forces, and we will bring that back to the House for
debate in late November or December.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2018-07-12a.1124.0&s=speaker%3A10045#g1128.2
