04/06/2015

Ministers Must Be 'Better Informed' On Police Cuts - NAO

The Home Office needs to be "better informed" on how to reduce police force funding in England and Wales, according to a recent report.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed funding decreased by £2.3 billion (25%) to police and crime commissioners between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Between March 2010 and September 2014, the police workforce has been reduced by 36,672 (excluding special constables).

Three forces were rated as 'requires improvement' in their response to the spending review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) policing austerity report.

The NAO said ministers had "insufficient information" on how much further they can cut police funding in England and Wales without "degrading service."

Amyas Morse, Head of the National Audit Office, said: "Although police forces have successfully reduced costs, without a thorough understanding of demand or the factors that bear on their costs it is difficult for them to transform services intelligently."

Mr Morse added the Home office needs to work with the HMIC, the College of Policing and various forces to gain a "clearer understanding" on the health of the service.

(LM)

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