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 2026-27. 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.
I propose to set the Welsh Government's contribution to
police funding for 2026-27 at £113.47 million. The Home
Office has issued a written
statement containing information on the total amount of
funding for police forces.
We are continuing to maintain our commitment to directly
providing additional Police Community Support Officers. As set
out in the Welsh Government draft budget £16.3m will be used to
directly fund PCSO posts in Wales. This is a 2.2% rise on our
funding from 2025-26 and will allow forces to continue to provide
PCSOs to support our communities in Wales. 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 £15 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 2026-2027. 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 Welsh Government's contribution to police funding for 2026-27
is summarised in Table 1 of this Statement.
Today's announcement marks the start of a consultation period
which will end on 14 January 2026. Following this, allocations
may be revised for the Final Settlement.
This information is also published on the Welsh Government's
website at:
Provisional Police
Settlement 2026-27
Documents
