Chancellor George Osborne commented: “I’ve had representations police budgets should be cut by up to 10 per cent. But now is not the time for further police cuts. Now is the time to back our police and give them the tools to do the job. I am today announcing there will be no cuts in the police budget at all. There will be real terms protection for police funding.”
“The police protect us, and we're going to protect the police. Five years ago, when I presented my first Spending Review, the country was on the brink of bankruptcy and our economy was in crisis."
Osborne explained the forces would instead meet expected targets by making efficiency savings through sharing resources.
The announcement of no cuts to the police service budget was welcomed by Paddy Tipping, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners finance group.
Tipping said: ”We praise the government that during this difficult time they have taken the decision to not cut the police budget.
We continue to be committed to innovation and reform to provide a secure service to the public who value neighbourhood policing.
“We will be working together and with the government to continue to invest in new technology; reduce back off costs and share resources where possible.”
As previously advised, the defence budget has been protected by the government, with a commitment to spend two per cent of national income on defence. The UK has also committed to spend 0.7 per cent of its national income on overseas development, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office budget has been protected in real-terms.
