Agenda item

To consider the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Quarterly Budget update.

The Chairman invited the Commissioner to give an overview of the Medium Term Financial Plan for Surrey Police.

The Commissioner provided the Panel with an outline of the Medium Term Financial Plan, as detailed in the agenda pack, and made the following key points:

·         The report established where Surrey Police thought it would be by 2019, giving both an optimistic and pessimistic outlook. The optimistic financial situation was based on a 5.6% rise of the precept. However there were indications that there would be a limit on the rate of increase of the precept from central government.

The Chairman thanked the Commissioner for his overview and invited questions from Panel Members. During the following question and answer session, the following points were clarified:

·         The Commissioner confirmed that cuts would need to be made in future years as Surrey Police would need to find £4.4 million, and the figures given within the report gave only a little consideration to the rate of inflation so he stated the funding gap was likely to be larger. Additionally, there would be a review regarding pension contributions which could increase the funding gap.

·         The Panel enquired whether research had been completed into whether Surrey residents would be prepared to pay a precept increase of 5.6%. The Commissioner confirmed that there was no research on this and that to raise the precept by this much would trigger a referendum as it would be above the current upper limit of 2%. He suggested that were he to hold a referendum it would be for more than 4% to cover the £1-2 million cost of a referenda, but this was not an avenue he wished to explore.

·         The Commissioner stated that he was currently unsure how the funding gap would be met, but that savings would need to be found within the £170 million staffing budget. He raised the issue of retired police investigators being employed by Surrey Police and there was a necessity to build experience in the Force.

·         Members raised concerns over the central government funding formula and the work the Commissioner was undertaking to influence a change which would benefit Surrey. The Commissioner stated that since coming into the office of Police and Crime Commissioner he had written to the Chancellor, Home Secretary and Surrey MPs regarding his misgivings in respect of the current funding formula. Furthermore, he had contacted the Oxford Economics group to create an informed document to assist in lobbying government which is costing £30,000. It was hoped this would help to change the funding formula to the benefit of Surrey.

·         The Commissioner stated he felt savings in the Police budget would come from collaborative work with neighbouring forces which was something he continued to look into. He was adamant that he was looking to get best value for public money, and had authorised consultants to look into the police stations which were in the process of being sold.

RESOLVED: That

1.    A letter be sent to the Police and Crime Commissioner making the following recommendation:

a.    That the Commissioner provides the Panel with a written overview of the alleged skills gap that exists in Surrey’s Criminal Investigation Department, and details of the action being taken to address the matter.