Lancs Police budget cuts: latest

Clive Grunshaw said: “The announcement means an additional £3.2m. of cuts to our funding than initially indicated by Government in the settlement last year.

“This is mainly due to the Government taking money from local police forces for national bodies including funding for the HMIC and IPCC.

“Forces such as Lancashire are already working collaboratively and innovatively on digital projects for example and it is madness that we have to bid for the money when we are so obviously already delivering innovation in our policing.

“We were preparing for £19m. of cuts by 2017/18 but now it’s going to be much more. The Government keeps taking more and more and at the end of the day it is the people of Lancashire who will see dramatic changes to the way local policing is provided in the future.”

Lancashire will receive £193.5m. of funding in 2015/16 compared to £203.3m. in 2014/15. This equates to a reduction of £9.8m. or 4.8% in cash terms from the level of funding received in 2014/15.

The Home Office grant accounts for around 76% of the funding for Lancashire Constabulary. The remaining 26% comes from the council tax precept paid by Lancashire householders.