ÖPIK SECURES FAIR RURAL FUNDING ASSURANCE FROM POLICE MINISTER

5.05.26pm GMT Wed 4th Feb 2009

Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, today secured funding reassurances from the Minister for Policing, Vernon Coaker MP, during a debate on Police Grants, about funding for rural areas such as Montgomeryshire.

Changes to the funding formula could cut the budget for Dyfed Powys Police by £6 million a year with the future loss of the funding floor, having a severe impact on the full functioning of the police force in rural Wales.

During the debate, Lembit said:

"I regard the Minister as being open to feedback and very proactive in his role. There is concern in the Dyfed-Powys police force about the long-term plans for the rural policing grant; it has been suggested that that could be homogenised into other funding. Although my area is blessed with an excellent police force and a relatively low level of crime, the force seeks reassurance that it will not lose out if the plans for that grant are changed. Will he give some guidance on his plans?"

In response the Minister said:

"We are trying to be fair to Welsh police forces. The hon. Gentleman will know that Welsh police forces outside the South Wales police force benefit from our giving them an additional approximately £15 million to ensure that they are funded in exactly the same way as police forces in England-I know that is welcomed in Wales.

"He also talked about the rule 2 grants-the separate pots of money, for example, the rural policing grants, that we put together in a single pot-and he will know that we have confirmed that we shall roll those forward for next year and that we have given the indicative levels for years 2010 and 2011.

"He will know that a review of the police formula is taking place and, doubtless, the comments that he made will be fed into the review to ensure that they are taken account of in any revised police formula for the next comprehensive spending review period."

Following the debate, Lembit said:

"I'm not surprised but quite encouraged by the Minister's constructive response to my question. I'm fairly confident that he will take into account the representations I made today in support of Dyfed-Powys Police funding. It was a good debate and I'm pleased I was able to get this assurance for our local police."

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