Budget 2020: Ensuring people’s safety and security

Ensuring people’s safety and security

Protecting people and keeping them safe from crime and other threats is a principal responsibility of any government. The government announced an extra £750 million of funding at the 2019 Spending Round to begin the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, with the first 6,000 officers to be recruited by March 2021. The Budget makes further important investments in the police, security services and justice system.

In addition, the Budget will include £114 million in 2020-21 for counter-terrorism, to maintain capability and officer numbers in the face of a changing terrorist threat. This includes an extra £83 million for counter-terrorism policing, in addition to the government’s police recruitment commitment, and £31 million for the UK Intelligence Community. The government will also provide an additional £67 million for the UK Intelligence Community which will enable them to develop further their world‑leading technological capabilities to protect the UK’s security and help keep the country safe. (9)

The government is committed to increasing support for victims of crime in their experience of the criminal justice system. The government will provide an additional £15 million to improve our offer to victims. This will boost the support available to victims of rape and create a new digital hub to make the criminal justice process in England and Wales easier to understand. The government will also provide an additional £5 million to begin a trial of domestic abuse courts in England and Wales, allowing criminal and family matters to be considered together. To protect victims of severe domestic abuse and their children and reduce the number of serial perpetrators, the government will provide £10 million for innovative new approaches to preventing domestic abuse, working with Police and Crime Commissioners to expand projects like the “Drive” prevention programme. 

The Budget contains an additional £5 million for the Youth Endowment Fund to support the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Tackling Youth Violence. This will create a single evidence hub on what works to divert young people away from criminal activity and improve the effectiveness of our wider investments in crime reduction, including the work of the Youth Endowment Fund and violence reduction units. The Budget will also provide £68.5 million to toughen community sentences, including by increasing the number of offenders who are required to wear an electronic tag. 

The government will also provide £20 million for Fire and Rescue Services to enable them to increase fire inspection and enforcement capability and to build capacity to respond to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s findings, by investing in training, equipment and a stronger strategic centre for the fire service. 

Safety and security

Counter terrorism – Overall counter-terrorism spending will increase by £114 million in 2020-21 to maintain capability and officer numbers in the face of a changing terrorist threat, and to help keep the UK safe. This includes an additional £31 million for the UK Intelligence Community and £83 million for counter-terrorism policing. As a result, funding for counter-terrorism policing will increase by £103 million in 2020-21. (9)

UK Intelligence Community infrastructure – The government has provided the UK Intelligence Community with £67 million additional funding to build on their world-leading technological capabilities so that they can continue to help keep the country safe from harm.

Capital for Companies House – The government will allocate £14 million to Companies House to enable it to continue with vital capital projects to help its work tackling economic crime and anti-money laundering.

Fire Safety – The government is providing £20 million for Fire and Rescue Services to increase inspection and enforcement capability and build a strategic response to the Grenfell Public Inquiry’s findings.

Domestic violence prevention – The government is providing £10 million in 2020-21 for innovative new approaches to preventing domestic abuse, working with Police and Crime Commissioners to expand projects like the “Drive” prevention programme.

Domestic abuse courts – The government will provide an additional £5 million to begin a trial of integrated domestic abuse courts in England and Wales. This funding will allow progress to be made on establishing these courts over the next year.

Royal Commission on the Criminal Justice process – The government will provide an additional £3 million to launch a Royal Commission on the Criminal Justice process in England and Wales. This funding will allow work on the Commission to begin at pace over the next year.

Community sentences – The government will provide an additional £68.5 million to strengthen community sentences in England and Wales, including by increasing the number of offenders who are required to wear an electronic tag.

Victim support – The government will provide an additional £15 million to improve the justice system’s offer to victims. This will boost the support available to victims of rape, and create a new digital hub to make the criminal justice process in England and Wales easier to understand.

Prison maintenance – The government will provide an additional £156 million in 2020-21 to tackle prison maintenance issues, helping to maintain prison operating capacity and improve conditions for those living and working in prisons in England and Wales. (8)

Youth Violence – The government is providing £5 million in 2020-21 to support the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Tackling Youth Violence.

Economic crime levy – The government intends to introduce a levy to be paid by firms subject to the Money Laundering Regulations to help fund new government action to tackle money laundering and ensure delivery of the reforms committed to in the Economic Crime Plan.74 These reforms will help safeguard the UK’s global reputation as a safe and transparent place to conduct business. The levy will be additional to ongoing public sector funding. The government will publish a consultation on the levy later this spring.