Police

Mr. Stewart Jackson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to provide ring-fenced funding to police authorities who incur significant costs in the provision of translation and interpretation services; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McNulty
[holding answer 23 March 2007]: The police service in England and Wales has benefited from a significant increase in resources over a sustained period. On a like-for-like basis Government grant and central spending on services for the police will have increased by over 62 per cent. or over £4.2 billion between 2000-01 and 2007-08.

Government funding for police authorities is chiefly allocated using a funding formula that provides an assessment of the relative need of each police force in England and Wales.

Funding for translation and interpretation services is not separately identified. Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.