Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle low morale as a result of pay within the police.

It is the role of the independent Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) to consider and make recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers. The Home Secretary’s remit letter asks the PRRB for recommendations on how to apply the pay award for 2022/23.

The PRRB gathers and invites parties to submit evidence to inform its decisions. This includes both written and oral evidence from the Government, police employers and police staff associations.

The Government has no statutory role in determining the pay and conditions for police staff, which are agreed locally by Chief Constables in consultation with trade unions.

The Government is unequivocal in its support for the police and giving them the resources that they need to protect the public, investing up to £16.9 billion in 2022/23 and committing to recruit an additional 20,000 officers by March 2023. We have also introduced the Police Covenant, recognising the bravery and commitment of current and former members of the police workforce and ensuring they get the support and protection they need.