Agenda item

To consider the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed precept for 2020/21, and make a report to the Commissioner on the proposals by 8 February 2020.

The Police and Crime Commissioner presented the proposed budget for Warwickshire Police including the Proposed Local Police Precept increase of £9.99 (4.38%) for Band D properties (and equivalent percentage increase for all other bands) in the 2020/21 financial year (Appendix 1). In his presentation, the Commissioner welcomed the increased police funding settlement which enabled the setting of a budget which did not require council taxpayers to contribute a greater amount than that provided from central government. He stated that the improved funding would allow scope to increase the number of police officers and allow for greater investment in crucial infrastructure.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that he had paid close attention to the results of the precept public consultation which had indicated clear support for continued investment in police services. He added that respondents had also highlighted concerns regarding the effect of a large increase in council tax. On this basis, the Commissioner notified the Panel that he had determined to implement a smaller rise than that which was consulted on.

The Police and Crime Commissioner advised that the budget was subject to considerable cost pressures and that funding from reserves would be utilised to support the cost of the transformation programme precipitated by the termination of the strategic alliance with West Mercia Police. He reported that a settlement with West Mercia Police had not been reached but it was hoped that an agreement would be concluded that would be fair to both parties. He added that resolution of the settlement would help to alleviate financial pressures in coming years, however, the cost of re-establishing independent policing functions would need to be supported by existing finances.

The Police and Crime Commissioner emphasised his commitment to ensure that resources were utilised effectively to the maximum benefit of Warwickshire’s residents and communities. He advised that rigorous financial control would be exerted to facilitate continued focus on policing priorities, including:

·       Investment in projects that support the Police and Crime Plan, including provision of support for the victims of crime;

·       Recruitment of an additional 41 police officers;

·       Investment in infrastructure to support front-line policing;

·       Doubling in size of the Rural Crime Team to enable six officers to be deployed in the north of the County and six officers in the south;

·       Strengthening of patrol policing, including five officers to be deployed in the north of the County and five in the south;

·       12 additional uniformed firearms and roads policing officers to operate county wide;

·       Deployment of 13 additional detectives to a specialist Child Abuse, Trafficking and Exploitation Team;

·       Creation of a Warwickshire Firearms Licensing Team;

·       Deployment of Inspectors to command Control Room functions and the implementation of higher standards of call-taking and responsiveness to high risk firearms incidents. 

The Police and Crime Commissioner summarised that the proposed precept increase would constitute an increase of less than 20p per week to the average council tax bill of a Band D household and commended his budget to the Panel.

In response to Councillor Davies, the Police and Crime Commissioner advised that the income generated by the Vetting Service would not impact negatively on voluntary groups or schools as the service was orientated to support private companies and other police authorities in specialist areas, rather than to undertake Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

In response to Councillor Davison, the Police and Crime Commissioner reported that the proposed review of the policing estate would be subject to a climate impact assessment and that it was perceived that improved energy efficiency standards offered a double advantage, benefitting operational costs as well as the environment. He added that the introduction of electric vehicles was an on-going consideration for the Police Force but that this was subject to cost constraints and wider infrastructure limitations such as the availability of charging points.

In response to Councillor O’Rourke, Neil Tipton (Head of Media and Communications, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner) reported that the General Election in December 2019 had delayed declaration of the National Policing Settlement and presented a challenging timescale for the precept consultation. He advised that these factors had imposed a reduced duration and limited scope for the consultation, as it had not been possible to make a judgement on the status of the budget and implications on the precept proposal without prior knowledge of the National Settlement. He added that the survey had reached a significant number of people, but that response rates were predicated on a self-selecting basis. He accepted that the number of responses represented a small proportion of the population of the County but added that larger policing areas had received a lower proportional response to their consultations. He stated that engagement of a market research company would be likely to increase response rates, but it was felt that this option was prohibitively expensive. The Police and Crime Commissioner added that the consultation had attracted a range of comments which had been especially valuable when reaching a decision.

The Chair acknowledged the limitations imposed on the precept consultation but urged the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to reflect upon the concerns raised by the Panel and to consider alternative strategies to improve response rates and encourage wider participation for future consultations of this type. Neil Tipton responded that self-selecting surveys presented inherent limitations and that alternative approaches were already under consideration as part of the Policing Priorities Consultation.

In response to Councillor Whalley-Hoggins, Sara Ansell (Treasurer, OPCC) advised that the projected revenue increase of £2.359million from the budget of 2019/20 to that of 2020/21 was thought to be a reliable forecast based upon income targets which included operation of the Vetting Service.

In response to Andy Davis, the Police and Crime Commissioner advised that securing a fairer funding formula from the government settlement remained a priority and that there was a consensus amongst rural police forces that the current formula was biased in favour of urban forces. He added that he had highlighted the issue to successive Home Secretaries and Policing Ministers in Westminster, and that Warwickshire MPs and local authorities had indicated their support for this disparity to be addressed. He advised that a governmental comprehensive spending review was underway, and that Home Office spending would be addressed as part of this process. He advocated patience and stated that he would continue to lobby for a change in funding allocations.   

Councillor Davies highlighted the constraints of the budget and risks associated with overspending. She asked the Police and Crime Commissioner how he intended to hold the Chief Constable to account to ensure that expenditure remained on track.

In response, the Police and Crime Commissioner reported that a monthly “Money Matters” meeting had been set up with the Chief Constable to monitor the budget and ensure that individual projects were not exceeding allowances. He added that the process of ‘holding to account’ was on-going by means of weekly and monthly meetings with the Chief Constable which included regular examinations of specific issues with the input of specialists within the Force. He reported that questions to the Chief Constable were recorded in writing and published on-line alongside written responses to ensure compliance and transparency.

The Chair highlighted that the Budget Report referred to a need to “identify increased savings targets in future years, if other funding streams or efficiencies do not emerge.” He requested clarification in respect of the areas that could be subject to future efficiencies.

The Police and Crime Commissioner responded that detailed planning work had focused on efficiencies and designed a structure for the organisation from the ground up. He added that the ‘Evolve’ change programme had benefitted this process and that the organisation would act in accordance with CIPFA codes of practice. Sara Ansell commented that the budget had been approached from a ‘zero-base’ and that a reviewing process would be scheduled to examine newly created service areas and collaborations once an embedding period had been observed to identify potential efficiencies. She added that savings targets had been built into the Medium Term Financial Plan and that these areas would be monitored across the organisation.   

In response to the Chair, Sara Ansell stated that the OPCC had responded effectively to the observations of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue (HMICFRS) in respect of understanding the costs of services. She advised that the ‘Evolve’ change programme and zero-base budget strategy had enabled a firmer understanding of key issues. She added that work was on-going to unpick Alliance budgets but that the outlook suggested that the right approach had been adopted.

The Chair moved that the Police and Crime Panel support the proposed precept for 2020/21. Councillor Simpson-Vince seconded the motion.

The Chair called a vote on the motion which was accepted unanimously by those present.

Resolved:

That the Police and Crime Panel accepts the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget and precept proposal for 2020/21.

The Police and Crime Panel’s response to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget is attached as Appendix 2.