Police Grant Settlement

Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab)
13.  What recent discussions she has had with the police on the police grant settlement.

The Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice (Mike Penning)
The Home Secretary and I have regular meetings with our police partners on issues including police funding. The Government have already published, on 17 December, the police funding settlement for 2016-17. The consultation will finish at 5 pm on 25 January.

Gerald Jones
The House may be aware of the comments last week by the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Staffordshire that police forces are once again having their budgets cut, despite promises in the spending review. Will the Minister confirm that the message has got back to the Chancellor that his claim that police funding is being protected is incorrect?

Mike Penning
The Chancellor announced a settlement of zero cuts. The Labour party wanted 10% cuts. We did not think that was right and that is why we did not do it.

Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)
14.   Yeovil police station in my constituency is threatened with closure under a local decision. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, with funding now safe, proposed closures in areas that can suffer from antisocial behaviour should be paused to allow further consideration?

The Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice (Mike Penning)
Whether police stations are open or not, and where they should be open, is an operational matter for the police force. I am sure that my hon. Friend’s local force commander and the police and crime commissioner have heard exactly what he says, but this is a matter for local policing and not something for the Minister to get involved in.

Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)
On the police funding settlement, would it help the Minister if, when the country votes to come out of the European Union, part of the £350 million a week the UK people give to Europe was spent on police funding?

Mike Penning
The Home Secretary negotiated brilliantly the funding agreement for the next four years. That was exceptionally good to hear.