Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Set out arrangements across government to quantify policy change impact on policing resources.
Recommendation
The Home Office does not understand how wider policy changes affect the demand on police resources. Police forces face growing demands as they take on additional responsibilities and tackle increasing volumes of more complex crimes, for example, the number of fraud crimes, sexual offences, and stalking and harassment offences, which require specialist expertise, has increased from 768,000 in 2014–15 (18% of police recorded crime) to 2.1 million in 2024–25 (32%). Despite this, the Home Office and policing do not fully understand the implications of changing demands. 2 Reforms to the criminal justice system, such as the sentencing review and probation reforms, will affect the demands on policing. The Home Office has improved its working arrangements with the Ministry of Justice but, seven months after the sentencing review, it has still not quantified the impact of reforms on police. The Home Office has not established similar collaborative working arrangements with other departments, or local government, to ensure impacts of policy changes on policing are properly considered. recommendation In its Treasury Minute response, the Home Office should set out the arrangements it has established—across departments, local government and policing stakeholders—to identify and quantify the impact of policy changes affecting policing.
Government Response Summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented, citing the Police Reform White Paper and existing Consolidated Budgeting Guidance for considering policy impacts on policing. It is currently working with policing stakeholders and relevant departments to assess existing processes and identify necessary changes to manage these burdens.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The Police Reform White Paper sets out a bold and ambitious reform programme to improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of policing. As part of those reforms the Home Office will work closely with policing to fully understand the impact of any policy changes that affect policing. Under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, departments already have a responsibility to consider the impacts of their policies on Local Authorities, including Police and Fire Authorities. Any quantifiable financial burden should then be funded for the duration of either the policy or the remaining Spending Review period whichever is the sooner. The Home Office also considers the impacts of its own policies on police resources and provides appropriate funding if assessed to be necessary. The Home Office is working with policing to identify whether processes already in place to help manage burdens are sufficient, and we are aware of instances where provisions made are not working as intended. The Home Office is working with policing and relevant departments to understand what changes are required to help policing meet these costs. The Home Office has been working closely with the Ministry of Justice, the police and other partners to consider the requirements across criminal justice reform, including in the context of the Police Reform White Paper. This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures.