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| Press Releases |
| Two Labour MPs Lobby Government For More Funding For West Yorkshire Police |
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Wednesday, 13 January, 2010
As West Yorkshire Police Authority asks residents if they are getting value for money from local policing, two Labour MPs have shown their support for the work of the Force and Authority.
In a debate in the House of Commons last week Paul Truswell MP and Mr John Battle MP lobbied the Government for further funding for West Yorkshire Police.
Paul Truswell MP (Pudsey) (Lab) who secured time for the debate following a meeting the Chair of the Police Authority Cllr Mark Burns-Williamson and Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison said: “Progress made with local policing in West Yorkshire, particularly in my constituency, has been phenomenal during my time as and MP, which goes back to 1997.
"Over recent years funding given to the Force has ensured that extra police officers and staff have been recruited and this has been reflected positively in reductions in crime. I would like to see this momentum sustained and keep a downward pressure on volume crime.
“The crux of the problem, however, is that West Yorkshire is not receiving the funding it should under the funding formula, that various aspects of its funding are under some specific threat and that many of the priority developments that it is taking to respond to Government initiatives and the demands of the local community increasingly have to be funded from savings.
“Although West Yorkshire Police Authority is efficient and has proved its ability to make savings, that is not in the long term a sustainable way of meeting the funding challenges, especially on the revenue front.”
West Yorkshire Police Authority has created an e-survey to find out from members of the public how they feel about the cost of police resources and if they are getting value for money.
This is the first time the Authority has used an online survey to get gain feedback from residents about the policing budget.
In February, this consultation with local communities will assist the Authority to set the budget for West Yorkshire Police for the next financial year 2010/11.
Cllr Mark Burns-Williamson, Chair of the West Yorkshire Police Authority said: “I welcome the support the MPs have shown to the policing in West Yorkshire and how they have spoken out about Government funding, and particularly want to place on record my thanks to Paul Truswell MP who has helped co-ordinate policing issues with his MP colleagues in Parliament over many years during my time as Chair of the Police Authority.
“I do, however still need to hear from residents. We have created an online survey to find out from the people of West Yorkshire how they feel about the cost of police resources and if they are getting value for money.
“We are now considering the budget for next year and we want to continue with the improvements made in local policing so it is important that we get feedback from local residents before we make any final decisions.”
The current Band D council tax for policing in West Yorkshire is £127.32 a year, or £2.45 a week which is the third lowest in the country.
The budget will be announced at a full Police Authority meeting on 12 February 2010.
Click here to complete the e-survey about the police budget and council tax. (You may find that you will need to copy and paste the website address into your Internet browser before you can complete the survey.)
The closing date for responses is Sunday 17th January 2010. |
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