MS, Cabinet Secretary for
Housing and Local Government: Today, I am publishing proposals
for the Welsh Government's component of funding for Police and
Crime Commissioners in Wales for 2025-26. These include the
provisional allocations of core revenue funding for each of the
four Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales.
Policing policy is not devolved and funding for the four Welsh
police forces is delivered through a three-way arrangement
involving the Home Office, the Welsh Government and council tax.
For 2025-26 the total core support for police forces in Wales
will be £476.8 million.
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's component of police funding provision is based on a
principle of ensuring consistency and fairness across England and
Wales.
As a result, I propose to set the Welsh Government's contribution
to police funding for 2025-26 at £113.47 million. As in previous
years, the Home Office has overlaid its needs-based formula with
a top-up mechanism which is funded by the Home Office. This
ensures all police forces in England and Wales can expect to
receive an increase in core funding of 3.705% for 2025-26. The
Home Office has confirmed that this represents a real terms
increase which will cover the costs of the police officer pay
awards.
We are continuing to maintain our commitment to directly
providing additional Police and Crime Support Officers. As set
out in the Welsh Government draft budget £15.953m will be used to
directly fund PCSO posts in Wales. This is a 3% rise on our
funding from 2024-25 and will allow forces to maintain funding
for posts whilst managing cost of living increases in-year.
Funding for PCSOs in Wales is provided over and above the Home
Office settlement, providing additional support for Welsh
communities. Although policing is a reserved area, our funding
for PCSOs reflects the work they do to build trust and engagement
between the police and communities in Wales, supporting our
aspirations for Welsh communities.
I recognise the challenging funding landscape for policing
partners, as well as the ongoing cost of living challenges for
many households. The UK Government has confirmed that, in
England, police precepts increases are limited to £14 without a
referendum. This does not apply in Wales but Welsh
Ministers retain the power to cap increases. The Welsh
Government will continue to work with Welsh PCCs and forces to
make the best possible use of our shared resources and to deliver
on our collective aspirations for communities in Wales
I encourage the four Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales to
consult fully with their local communities in considering the
level of local funding for 2025-2026. They will need to consider
carefully the balance between the impacts on households from
increases in police precepts and on decisions on services for
communities.
The figures are summarised in Tables 1 to 3 of this Statement.
Today's announcement marks the start of a consultation period
which will end on 17 January 2025. Following this, allocations
may be revised for the Final Settlement.
This information is also published on the Welsh Government's
website at:
Police settlement
provisional 2025-2026
This statement is being issued during recess to keep Members
informed. Should Members wish me to make a further statement or
to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be
happy to do so.
