Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted in Part
Benchmark Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee recruitment plans to ensure minimum officer numbers or flexible funding.
Recommendation
The Government should benchmark recruitment plans under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to ensure that, while flexibility for forces to recruit is maintained, minimum numbers for the recruitment of police officers can be set by the Home Office if required, or more flexibility in funding provided if forces cannot meet their staffing needs through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. (Recommendation, Paragraph 58) The political response
Government Response Summary
The government provides £376.8 million, with £270.1 million ringfenced, for forces to maintain officer numbers in 2025-26, and expects an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce. It does not commit to Home Office-set minimum recruitment numbers, maintaining local flexibility.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
For the purposes of funding and conditions for the neighbourhood policing programme, the local base for each force is set as at March 2025. We have been working closely with policing to develop the neighbourhood policing programme. Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which is year 1 of a multiple year programme across parliament, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands. Whilst the precise workforce mix proposed is a local decision, we expect forces to approach delivery in a way that is locally suitable and effectively contributes to the manifesto commitment of delivering a 13,000 increase by the end of this parliament. An assessment of progress and learnings from year 1 of delivery will be used to inform delivery models for future phases of the programme. With regard to preserving the total number of officers across all policing functions, the Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively. Visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police. As a result, the Government’s expectation is that officer numbers must be protected in 2025–26. For 2025–26, £376.8 million will be available to forces to maintain officer numbers. This funding will be distributed as follows: • £270.1 million will be ringfenced funding, which PCCs will be able to access, as in previous years, by demonstrating that they have maintained their officer numbers.